16. Strengthening of family, protection and promotion of children, adolescence and youth

We commit to strengthen families as a fundamental space for people’s comprehensive development, promoting marriage and family communities respectful of the dignity and rights of all their members. The state has the policy of preventing, sanctioning and eradicating different violent manifestations produced in family relations. We also have the purpose of guaranteeing well being, comprehensive development, and dignified life for boys, girls, adolescents and youth, especially those who are at risk, poverty and exclusion. We will promote institutional spaces and neighborhood environments that will permit pacific coexistence and personal security, as well as a culture of respect to moral, cultural and social values.

With this objective, the State: (a) will guarantee educational programs aimed at making up and developing stable families, based on respect among all of its members; (b) will promote responsible paternity and maternity; (c) will strengthen the participation and leadership of girls, boys and adolescents in their schools and other interaction spaces; (d) will guarantee the access of girls, boys and adolescents to comprehensive education and health, cultural enrichment, recreation and education in values, so as to strengthen their self-esteem, personality and the development of their abilities; (e) will prevent all kinds of family violence, as well as mistreatment and exploitation against boys, girls and adolescents, contributing to their eradication; (f) will prevent gangs and violence among youth and will promote programs to reintegrate offender adolescents into society; (g) will develop special programs to attend boys, girls, adolescents and youth who suffer from the sequels of terrorism, (h) will strengthen the children and adolescence attention system ruling entity, the Children and Adolescent Ombudsman Network at municipalities and schools, and comprehensive services for reporting, specialized attention and sanction of violence and exploitation cases against them; (i) will foster special recreation, creation and productive and entrepreneurial education programs for the youngest; (j) will implement comprehensive care services for pregnant adolescents, minor female household heads and young couples; (k) will strengthen child day care systems from a multisectorial perspective; (l) will support private and public investment to create recreation, sports and culture for youth, especially in remote and poor areas; (m) will promote mass media dissemination of positive images of childhood, adolescence and youth, as well as appropriate content for their age; (n) will promote sexual education respecting the right of parents to provide particular education they deem more convenient for their children; (o) will implement scholarship and training programs or other ways to support a better intellectual and professional education of youth; (p) will institutionalize multisectorial policies to reduce family and juvenile violence; and (q) and will promote institutionalization of youth forums on State care.