Social and Religious Studies

Key unit competence: recognise basic human and children’s rights and fight for them.

Learning objectives

At the end of this unit, you should be able to:

Knowledge and understanding

•  Identify basic human and children’s rights.
• State forms of child abuse and ways of preventing them. 
•  Give the meaning of equality and equity. 
• State different forms of sexual abuse.

Skills

•  Respect principles of human and children’s rights. 
• Analyse how equity and equality is carried out in our district. 
•  Identify ways of promoting equity and equality in our district. 
•  Identify elements of gender-based violence.

Attitudes and values

•  Show self-respect, respect and tolerance of the other.
• Report child abuse practices and cases to parents, guardians, teachers and police. 
•  Appreciate the importance of basic human rights and children’s rights.
•  Exhibit behaviours that promote equity and equality. 
•  Show concern on gender-based violence and sexual abuse. 
•  Communicate willingly in matters concerning sexual abuse.
•  Describe elements of gender based violence and sexual abuse.
•  Find out different ways of preventing gender based violence and sexual abuse.

Introductory activity

Look at the picture and answer the questions below.

    1. What are the children doing?

   2. Do you think they are happy? Why?

   3. Are they free? Why?

   4. What does it mean to be free?

   5. Do you think they are safe? Why?

   6. What does it mean to be safe?

   7. What can help you to be safe?

                                           These children are playing a game.

2.1 Human rights

Human rights help you. They give you power to live well. This is because they:

• keep you safe as they help you to protect yourself
•  make people treat you in a good and fair way
• make you treat others in a good and fair way
• are the same for all people.

Basic human rights are rights that everybody should have. It does not matter:

•  where you live
•  who you are
• if you are young or old
•  if you are a boy or girl 

You have the basic human right to follow your religion.

•  if you are rich or poor.

A human right gives you the freedom to live in a safe way. It also helps you to grow.

 You can become the person you want to be. It allows you to be happy.

2.2 Children’s rights

Children’s rights are part of human rights. You have rights because you are a

child. You need to be protected.

Look at these children’s rights.

Exercise

   1. Name four human and children’s rights.

   2. Which human and children’s rights do you have?

      Give examples.

   3. Why is it important to have human and children’s rights?

   4. What has the Rwandan government done to protect your rights?

2.3 Respect and tolerance

To have human rights means you have respect. If you respect yourself, then you:

      2.3.1 Child abuse                     

Child abuse means when children are hurt and harmed. 

This happens when people do not respect human and children’s rights.

There are different kinds of child abuse: physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect.

2.3.2 Physical abuse

When somebody hurts your body it is physical abuse. This is when somebody

hits, kicks, beats or harms you in a bad way. Examples are if you are:

Physical abuse is when somebody hurts your body.

2.3.3 Sexual abuse

This kind of abuse happens when a person touches you on your private parts

or genitals. These are the parts of the body that other people may not touch

without your permission.

Sexual abuse happens when you are:

•  touched in a way that makes you uncomfortable, shy and scared
•  forced to touch another person’s private parts
• forced to have sex
• forced to get married.

2.3.4 Emotional abuse

Emotions are feelings. You can feel happy or sad. You can also feel safe or scared.

Emotional abuse is when people use bad words to hurt you. What they say makes you feel sad or scared. 

Examples of emotional abuse are when a person tells you:

• that you are useless
•  that you should never have been born
•  that they hate you or do not like you.

2.3.5 Neglect

To be neglected means not to be cared for or looked after. Examples are:

• Nobody gives you food.
• You don’t get help when you are ill.
•  You have no place to stay.
• You have to look after yourself. You never see your parents or guardians.

Exercise

1. Use your own words to describe the different forms of child abuse.

2. Describe what you feel about child abuse.

Activity 2.2

1. Draw the different kinds of child abuse.

2. Explain to the class what your drawings mean.

2.3.6 How to prevent child abuse

There are things you can do to prevent child abuse. You can report it to:

•  Let the child know his/her rights.
•  Listen to them and believe what they say.
•  Report the suspected abuse or neglect.

Activity

1. Find out how you can prevent child abuse.

2. Present what you found out to the class. Be prepared to answer questions.

2.4 Equality and equity

Equality means we are all the same and should be treated in the same way. It means we are equal. 

Equity means people get a fair share of what they need. It also means people are treated in a fair or just way. 

Look at this example.

The farmer has told both learners that they can each pick a mango. This is equality as both have permission. 

The taller learner can easily get a mango. The shorter learner cannot reach a mango. This is not fair.

 This is not equity. To make sure there is equity, the shorter learner needs help. 

The taller learner should help the shorter learner to reach the fruit. Then there is equity. 

This means that to ensure we have equity, we sometimes have to give people an advantage.

Equity sometimes means giving people an advantage.

Exercise

Answer these questions.

      1. Give the meaning of equality.

      2. Give the meaning of equity.

      3. Use your own words to give an example of each. Show the difference.

      4. Make a drawing to show the difference between equity and equality. 

       5. Explain if you would prefer to live in a place with equity and equality.

2.4.3 Gender-based violence and sexual abuse

Gender gives you a male or female role. It tells you how to behave. 

This can be as a man or boy, or a woman or girl. Gender-based violence is when you are hurt 

because you are a woman or girl, or a man or boy. Most gender-based violence is by males against females.

 This is not always so. Females sometimes also abuse males.

Examples of gender-based violence:

• A husband beats his wife.
• An uncle beats his niece.
•  A brother beats his sister.
•  A boyfriend beats his girlfriend.
•  A mother beats her son or her daughter.
•  A girl is stolen or sold to be married.

Gender-based violence can happen anywhere. 

Gender-based violence can happen anywhere. It can happen:

• at home, by people you know
•  at work or at school.

Gender-based violence can happen when:

•  there is no equality
• people do not respect human rights.

Exercise

Discuss the following:

     1. Examples of gender-based violence and sexual abuse.

      2. Why do you think sexual abuse and gender-based violence happen?

2.4.4 The effects of gender-based violence and sexual abuse

When gender-based violence and sexual abuse happen, it has bad effects.

Look at the effects shown in the pictures.

2.4.5 How to prevent gender-based violence and sexual abuse

It is every person’s duty to try to stop bad things happening. You can do so if you:

• report it (tell the police, a teacher or person you trust)
• talk about it so that it is not a secret
•  tell people about human rights
•  show people you respect them
• treat people in a fair way.

Activity

          1. Identify different ways to prevent gender-based violence and sexual abuse.

           2. Present your ideas to the class.

Homework

Write five sentences to describe how you will prevent gender-based violence and sexual abuse.

Self-assessment

Make sure you are able to answer the following questions on your own.

1. Why are equality and equity in our district important?

2. What are you doing to promote equity and equality?

3. How can we prevent gender-based violence and sexual abuse?

End unit assessment

1. Choose the correct word in the box to complete each sentence.

a) Human rights are yours because you are ________.

b) Children have special rights because they need to be ________.

c) You should report child abuse to the ________.

d) It is very important to ________ equity and equality.

2. Match the words in column A with the correct meaning in column B.

3. Read the case study. Then answer the questions.

     a) Why was Keza sad?

    b) What do you call this kind of abuse?

    c) What did Keza do to stop Eric?

    d) Did Keza do the right thing? Give a reason for your answer.

    e) Tell Eric how he should rather act towards girls.