The UAE implemented a comprehensive child protection law to safeguard the rights and well-being of children living in the country. The Federal Law, known as the Wadeema’s Law, is the cornerstone of child protection in the country.
Named after a tragic case involving child abuse, the law aims to ensure children’s safety, welfare, and development. In 2012, a girl named Wadeema was abused and killed by her father; the incident shook the consciousness of the nation. The leadership launched a legal workshop that led to the introduction of Wadeema’s Law in 2016.
It covers a range of protections, including the right to education, healthcare, and protection from neglect, exploitation, and abuse. The law also emphasises the role of parents, schools, and institutions in reporting any form of child maltreatment. It establishes strict penalties for violations, fostering a secure environment for all children in the UAE.
According to Article 3 of the law, children are banned from certain places.
Clause (1) — the child shall be banned from entering or being accompanied to the following places:
— Adult nightclubs.
— Smoking areas.
— Laboratories of materials of fast and hazardous chemical reactions.
— Factories and ovens of high temperatures.
— Places of gas emissions and toxic liquids.
— Quarries, mines,and places where materials are extracted from the ground.
— Workshops of rapid and hazardous rotary machines.
— Places of war, armed conflict,and natural and environmental disasters.
— Places where weapons and explosives are manufactured.
— Places designated for cutting, pressing,and forming hazardous metals.
— Places of projectiles, flying sparks and melting.
— Unclean waste recycling sites.
— Places where epidemics and deadly diseases spread.
— Places of electromagnetic interference and frequencies affecting the health of children.
— Places where narcotic drugs are manufactured; and
— Shops designated for the sale of materials intended for adults.
School visits and activities are allowed to the above mentioned places as long as they get the required approval from the Ministry of Education. The activities mentioned here are exempt from a specific restriction or ban provided they comply with the Ministry’s stipulated controls.
If the child is accompanied to places other than those specified under clause (1), the following shall be observed:
a. Maintain the child’s physical, psychological and moral wellness.
b. Comply with the controls and stipulations established by the supervisors of such place
c. The age of the child and his degree of understanding of what he is seeing shall be appropriate to the place to which he is accompanied.
The law also defines the responsibilities of managers of movie theaters, TV channels, and other venues where films are shown. These establishments are required to prominently display the age restrictions for viewing films or materials, in both Arabic and English, using clear and legible writing.
The supervisors of cinemas shall request a proof of the shild’s age before admitting him to see the show so as to ascertain that the show is appropriate for his age.