‘Bhadram’ to spread awareness on child rights

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has launched a programme to create awareness among schoolchildren, teachers and parents about

child

rights and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act, in the wake of increasing number of child abuses being reported across the state.

The social justice department, which launched the programme titled ‘Bhadram’, has earmarked Rs 72.80 lakh for the initiative. The programme will be implemented in at least 50 schools in a district that will include all government, semi-government, private, CBSE and ICSE schools. Awareness programmes on all the sections of the Pocso Act and the rights of the children will be conducted as part of the programme. Suggestion boxes for receiving feedback and inputs from the children, pamphlets and stickers for awareness campaign, etc. also will be put in place as part of the campaign.

Those children who are being sexually abused are to be taken care of under the

integrated child protection scheme

. The children should be given awareness about the various circumstances and the steps to be taken, in case they are being abused, should be given to the parents, teachers and children, health and social justice minister K K Shailaja said.

A booklet that lists out various steps to be taken will be distributed among the children that will also list out various provisions that are available for children under the integrated child protection scheme. The programme will be coordinated at the district level by the respective district child protection officers. School councillors, Kaval project coordinators,

childline

workers, social workers and other stakeholders will be part of the project.


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