Dignity and Respect in African Public Service Delivery - a Hidden Driver of the Global Promise to Leave No One Behind

Youth and poor people are particularly likely to report difficulty and disrespectful treatment when accessing services.

Key findings

On average across 39 countries, close to six in 10 Africans (58%) say they had contact with a public health care facility during the previous year. Almost half (45%) report having requested police assistance, encountered the police in other situations, or both. One-third of respondents say they contacted a public school (34%) and a government agency providing identity documents such as birth certificates and driver's licences (33%). Among those who sought an identity document, about half (49%) say they found it "difficult" or "very difficult" to get what they needed. More than four in 10 of those who sought health care (45%) and police assistance (46%) report it was difficult to get the services they needed. Access to public school services was easier, with a quarter (26%) saying they encountered difficulties. About four in 10 citizens (39%) who sought a government identity document say they were treated with little or no respect by service providers. About one-third of those who sought medical care (36%) say they did not feel respected, as did 26% of those who contacted a public school. One-third (34%) of all respondents say their country's police "rarely" or "never" "operate in a professional manner and respect the rights of all citizens." Youth and poor citizens are particularly likely to report difficulty in obtaining services as well as disrespectful treatment by service providers. Respondents who felt disrespected by public service providers are more likely to distrust and disapprove of their elected leaders, more likely to be dissatisfied with the way democracy is working in their country, and less likely to support a democratic form of government. googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display('div-gpt-async-ad-inread-a');});

The African Charter on Values and Principles of Public Service and Administration recognises dignity and respect as fundamental elements of public service and administration. Article 4 of the charter stipulates that "public service and administration and its agents shall respect the human rights, dignity and integrity of all users" (African Union, 2011). Article 7 calls on public service administrators and frontline agents to set and respect timeframes for public service delivery, adapt service delivery to user needs, and promote trust among frontline agents and service users. The charter thus sets a framework for an African public administration that not only serves the needs of citizens but also upholds their dignity and rights, ensuring that respect remains a central tenet of public service delivery.

Across the continent, national constitutions as well as human rights-related policy documents and frameworks include provisions to promote respect and dignified treatment of people seeking and using public services. For instance, South Africa's National Framework Towards the Professionalisation of the Public Sector states that "respect, dignity, integrity, courteous behaviour, treating people equally, and observing non-racialism are all elements of professional conduct" (Republic of South Africa, 2022, p. 28).

Global development and human rights frameworks, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), recognise respect for human dignity as a universal value that must be upheld at all times. Integrating this and other universal values into the implementation of the SDGs is seen as a necessary condition if member states are to achieve the 2030 targets and fulfil the promise to "leave no one behind."

To what extent do African governments uphold this universal value? Specifically, how easy or difficult is it for citizens to access public services? Do Africans feel they are treated with dignity and respect when they seek public services? How do people's experiences with public services impact their attitudes toward elected leaders, public officials, and governance institutions? We draw on data from Afrobarometer Round 9 surveys, conducted between late 2021 and mid-2023, to address these questions.

Across 39 surveyed countries, Africans in substantial numbers report having contact with public health facilities, public schools, government agencies that provide identity documents, and the police during the 12 months preceding the survey. But for many of them, accessing these services was not easy, and sizable minorities say they were treated with a lack of respect. Disrespect was an especially common experience for youth and for poor citizens.

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In addition to the likely impact of disrespect on people's dignity and propensity to use important public services, analysis of the data shows that experiencing a lack of respect by public service providers is correlated with more negative views of all levels of the government and of democracy itself.

Joseph Asunka Joseph Asunka is the chief executive officer at Afrobarometer.

Alfred Kwadzo Torsu Alfred Kwadzo Torsu is the Data Analytics Lead at Afrobarometer, where he focuses on using data to guide and shape effective policies.

Josephine Appiah-Nyamekye Sanny Josephine is Afrobarometer's director of communications.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.