Preventive Strategies for Child Protection

Preventive Strategies for Child Protection

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Preventive Strategies for Child ProtectionPractical Guidance to Form and Strengthen

Child Protection Committees

July 2013


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Acknowledgments This report is founded in the insightful inputs and contributions of a host of dedicated individuals from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. These include the officials from State Governments and District Administrations, managers and field workers from NGOs, and UNICEF staff and consultants.


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Preventive Strategies for Child Protection:

Practical Guidance to Form and Strengthen

Child Protection Committees

July 2013


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» A number of NGOs and CSOs have worked towards strengthening community-based child protection, including through community-based child protection committees. This document refers to the work undertaken as part of UNICEF’s partnerships with the government and NGOs.

1Village, Panchayat and Block-level Child Protection Committees facilitated by District Administrations, Zilla Parishads, NGOs, UNICEF

Assam521

West Bengal150

Chhattisgarh40

Uttar Pradesh5,162

Andhra Pradesh1,350

Tamil Nadu820

Karnataka650

Maharashtra177

Gujarat3,000

Rajasthan1,000

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State No. of Districts Names of Districts No. of CPCsAndhra Pradesh 2 Kurnool, Warangal 1,350Assam 5 Dibrugarh, Kokrajhar, Sonitpur, Sibsagar, Tinsukia 521Chhattisgarh 1 Sukma 40Gujarat 6 Banaskantha, Bhavnagar, Kutch, Patan, Rajkot,

Vadodara3,000

Karnataka 2 Koppal, Raichur 650Maharashtra 2 Jalna, Yavatmal 177Rajasthan 2 Dungarpur, Udaipur 1,000Tamil Nadu 3 Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri, Salem 820Uttar Pradesh 3 Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Sonebhadra 5,162West Bengal 4 Jalpaiguri, Malda, North 24 Pargana, South 24

Pargana150


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A.P. Andhra Pradesh

ANM Auxiliary Nurse Midwife

AWW Anganwadi Worker

BLTF Block level Task Force

CDPO Child Development Project Officer

CLPT Child Labour Prevention Team

CP Child Protection

CPC Child Protection Committee

CRG Child Rights Group

CV Community Volunteers

CWC Child Welfare Committee

DCPU District Child Protection Unit

DLTF District Level Task Force

DRDA District Rural Development Agency

GP Gram Panchayat

HM Head Master

IEC Information, Education & Communication

JJB Juvenile Justice Board

MC Mandal Coordinator

MCPC Mandal Child Protection Committee

MPTC Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency

NCLP National Child Labour Programme

OSC Out-of-School children

PLCC Panchayat Level Convergence Committee

PRI Panchayati Raj Institutions

RTE Right to Education

SMC School Management Committee

SOP Standard Operating Procedure

SSA Sarva Siksha Abhiyan

VIC Village Information Centre

VLV Village Link Volunteer

WASH Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

ZPTC Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency

Abbreviations


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Abbreviations

Introduction 01

Background 03

Preventive Child Protection: Foundation of a Robust Child Protection System

04

Phases and Steps in Formation and Functioning of Child Protection Committees

Phase I: Plan for Entry into the Community 07

Phase II: Preparing Communities for Child Protection 10

Phase III: Formation of Child Protection Committees 14

Phase IV: Functioning of Child Protection Committees 18

Roles of Stakeholders

Role of NGO as a Facilitator 24

Role of Volunteers and Children’s Groups 26

Roles of CPC Members 27

Recommendations 29

Conclusion 32

Partnerships 33

Contents


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Introduction

The purpose of this document is to provide practical and experiential guidance to State Child Protection Societies, District Child Protection Units, District Administrations, and Community-based Organizations to set up and strengthen Child Protection Committees at the community level. The document identifies the processes undertaken, outlines roles of various stakeholders in the process, and records case studies of select interventions, which demonstrate how preventive child protection works in convergence with other groups, committees, and government agencies. The document also summarizes key challenges faced and strategies used to overcome these challenges; additionally, the document also provides recommendations towards scaling up and strengthening CPCs across the country.

This report is based on the information provided by UNICEF and partners in standardized templates that were gathered from nine states. The information collected from the states was reviewed to draw out the process of CPC formation, and the practices that were most effective in formation, strengthening, and functioning of the CPCs. Subsequent to this review, field visits and interviews with state government and district administrations, NGOs, community members, and UNICEF staff were undertaken to validate and analyse the information received from the states.


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An experience-based step-by-step guide to formation, strengthening, and functioning of community-based CPCs

Ü Key roles of all stakeholders, including members of the CPCs at various stages of formation and functioning of CPCs

Ü Case studies of how active CPCs address protection concerns of children from within the communities

Ü Insights into challenges faced during the course of forming CPCs, and the practical, contextual solutions that are locally devised, to overcome challenges

Ü Areas of improvement and specific recommendations and way forward for initiating work towards setting up CPCs

Ü The need for setting up monitoring mechanisms, the role of CSOs in supportive supervision of CPCs

Ü Recommendations to the government to create an enabling environment to promote, recognize, and institutionalize CPCs in order to realize the primary objective of ICPS of creating a safety net for all children

Ü A list of over 80 partner organizations, which, over the last few years, have through first-hand experience, developed and enhanced understanding to facilitate the formation and strengthening of CPCs in ten states.

This report can be effectively used to develop context-specific (state and district) guidelines to support the formation, strengthening, and functioning of community-based CPCs.

While the report highlights the need to standardize some processes – including roles of CPCs and their capacity development, it acknowledges and reiterates the need to have a flexible, context specific approach, which will make CPCs more relevant, meaningful, and easily acceptable to the local realities.

What does this report offer?


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Background

The National Policy for Children 2013 2 identifies the right to protection as a key priority and emphasizes that a safe, secure, and protective environment is a precondition for realization of all rights of children. The Policy also states that a multi-sector, sustainable and inclusive approach is essential to the development and protection of children.

The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) of the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), launched in 2009 aims at establishing and strengthening a comprehensive child protection system at state, district, and community level, and provides a range of child protection services to children. ICPS intends to build a protective environment for all children, especially those vulnerable to violence, abuse, and exploitation. Through partnerships between government and civil society, the scheme hopes to create a safety net that prevents and responds to vulnerabilities of children.

» MWCD, 2013. » ICPS: MWCD, Page 19. » Child Labour Elimination Committee, Village Watch Committee, Child Protection Committee

ICPS and the Role of Communities

The role of community groups, local leaders, volunteers, youth groups, families, and children is to provide protective and conducive environment for children, to act as watchdog and monitor child protection services by inter-alia participating in the village and block level child protection committees.

(ICPS Scheme Document, MWCD, Page 31)

ICPS identifies the lack of preventive interventions as a significant gap in existing child protection services3, and goes on to stress on the role of communities in protection of children.

Over the years, a number of organizations have worked to mobilize and organize communities to address children’s issues. While these groups differ in their nomenclature4, composition and functioning, they tend to work with an overall goal of establishing a preventive and responsive system at the community level. Since the launch of ICPS, a more structured attempt is being made to integrate this community-led action within the scheme in the form of village, panchayat and block level child protection committees (CPC).

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Background Preventive Child Protection: Foundation of a robust child protection system

Experience from the field has guided a decisive shift in the way organizations understand work on child protection. While work on trafficking of children, institutionalization, children affected by HIV and so on have yielded results for children, this approach of working on specific issues have inherent limitations due to the fragmented approach5 . This has led to organizations to turn to developing comprehensive child protection efforts, with a systems approach, which has been the hallmark of the health system6 across the world. This systems approach focus on “primary prevention” which seeks to ameliorate the conditions that create the problem in the first place7 and such prevention is a critical function of a sound child protection system.

If we were to truly eliminate any harm to children, is important to prevent it in the first place.

As an example from practice, this would mean, it will be as important to prevent trafficking of children, as taking on the challenging and at times, non-so-successful road to recovery and reintegration of child victims of trafficking.

This focus on primary prevention however does not undermine the need to establish strong response systems.

» Adapting a Systems Approach to Child Protection: Key Concepts and Considerations, UNICEF Working Paper, January 2010 » Inverting the Pyramid: Enhancing Systems for Protecting Children; Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, 2008 » The Munro Review of Child Protection: Part I - A Systems Analysis; Eileen Munro, 2010

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The focus on primary prevention would mean increased efforts to empower and enable children, families, and communities to take charge of protection of children from violence, exploitation and abuse. This, in turn, would mean that significant investment

will have to be channeled to direct engagement with communities, organizing communities, and providing them with information, knowledge, and the tools to address protection concerns to eliminate harm to children.

» Adapted from Inverting the Pyramid: Enhancing Systems for Protecting Children; Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth, 2008

Investing in prevention: Understanding the Protection Pyramid8

Prim

ary

Ü Focus on Response Ü Few children and families

Ü Intensive Interventions Ü Significant role of social workers Ü High investments on Response

Ü Focus on Reducing Vulnerabilities Ü More support to “at risk” families and children,

including social protection

Ü Services “Universal” – to all children and families Ü Enhanced capacities of families and communities

Ü High investments on Prevention

Re

spon

se In

tens

ive

Syst

em

Prevention Intensive System

Seco

ndar

y Secondary

Tert

iary Tertiary

Primary

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Developing critical awareness of one’s reality, or the process of consientization, leads to increased willingness and openness to take action to change the reality9 . Awareness, therefore, is often the first step towards preparing individuals and communities to initiate action. While awareness is critical, resultant action depends upon having the necessary tools to take actions based on this awareness. Accurate information, availability of resources, and established accountability mechanisms can facilitate necessary action, and lead to a positive change. Across the world and in India too, vibrant community-led movements have addressed significant and daunting challenges in a participatory and organized way. Issues that communities can address together can be as diverse as land and water issues, alcoholism and domestic violence, and literacy and education.

Organizing communities to protect children

Empowering Women: Experiences of SHGs

Membership of SHGs enhances women’s bargaining power and helps them negotiate with strength in community institutions. Having knowledge of the broader context to their lives empowers women. Women’s mutual support is a necessary condition for their empowerment. Individual women cannot develop their potential or make their full contribution. The “mentoring” of other women by veteran SHG member has helped to give supervision and assurance to other women who would else be browbeaten by the system. Mentoring serves as a role model and takes away the isolation of being one of a few, as one member says:

“I am also a member of this school committee. I have been a member since the past three years. If any work is to be done in the school, they call me. I have been involved in the construction of schoolrooms...The women complained that they do not get ration from the anganwadi worker meant for the children…I got a resolution passed by the group. I told her (Anganwadi worker) that I will report you…Now there is no such problem...There was a DPEP centre and I try to get the children enrolled in it, even if it means leaving my own work. Now times have changed. Girls are going to school.”

Women’s Empowerment: Effect of Participation in Self Help GroupsDeeptiUmashankar, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore; 2006(http://www.iimb.ernet.in/microfinance/Docs/Students/women%20empower%20Deepti.pdf)

…the family, as the fundamental group of society and the natural environment for the growth and well-being of all its members and particularly children, should be afforded the necessary protection and assistance so that it can fully assume its responsibilities within the community…

Preamble to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN-CRC)

» Paolo Friere, Friere Institute9


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Article 39 of the Indian Constitution directs that children should be given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner in conditions of freedom and dignity, and that childhood and youth be protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment. Research, anecdotal evidence, and day-to-day experiences of violation of children’s right to protection clearly indicate that prevention is central to successful child protection, and necessitates creating a protective environment for children – in families, neighbourhoods, and communities. This, however, requires awareness, willingness, commitment and sustained efforts on part of the community, and support from the government and civil society alike.

A number of organizations have facilitated bringing together communities to address issues of education and child protection. The anti-child labour movement, the anti-trafficking movement and the anti-child marriage movement across the country are notable, in terms of the strategies employed,

and their achievements. Such interventions though implemented in limited geographic areas, have displayed commonality of approach and strategy, and have led to increased awareness and sensitivity among communities; generation of demand from the communities for education and protection; enhanced abilities of families and communities to report violation of children’s rights; and enhanced accountability on part of service providers, towards effective delivery of services.

These experiences have significantly contributed to thinking that communities, when organized together as child protection committees, would wield a wide influence amongst its members on the need to protect children, and to demand for systems and services that prevent and respond to violence, abuse and exploitation of children. ICPS provides for setting up of child protection committees (CPC) at the village and block levels to address child protection concerns and to take steps to address and prevent them.


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Initiation of discussion with State and district administration

Identification of existing programmes as entry points to initiate conversations in communities

Identification of NGOs working in the district and sub-district level and training of Project Teams to facilitate in setting up of CPCs

Phase II

Phase I

Phases and Steps in the Formation and Functioning of CPCs

Phase I – Plan for entry into the community

The focus in this phase is to initiate discussions on child protection, ICPS and the need for setting up community-based child protection committees. This phase also involves the identification of grassroots NGOs, who can play the role of facilitators in the formation and functioning of CPCs. Phase I includes the following steps:


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Discussions are initiated with the state government and the district administration to emphasize the importance of child protection. Child protection is also explained in the context of the JJA 2000 and ICPS. These interactions are conducted across as many departments as possible. Multi-sector interactions and discussions not only help create linkages and convergence among departments 11 at the district and sub-district level, but also helps in identifying existing programmes and interventions to dovetail upon while initiating conversations in the community.

Initiation of discussion with state and district administration

In Tami Nadu, initial discussions were held with the State Department of Labour, and UNICEF entered into a partnership for the implementation of an Integrated Child Protection Program (ICPP)10 . UNICEF dovetailed the National Child Labour Project (NCLP) with the State Government and obtained the support of NCLP staff while initiating its programs in the districts of Salem and Dharmapuri.

Identification of NGOs working in the district and sub-district level and training of project teams to facilitate in setting up of CPCs

Identification of organizations to facilitate the process of setting up and strengthening CPCs is a critical step. The most favourable organizations to play this role are those with extensive experience in rural development at the village level. These organizations have strong relationships with communities and the local administration. They may or may not have had prior experience working directly with children or on child rights issues. Having an NGO as a facilitator is advantageous because the trust and confidence of the community in the NGO, gained over years, help create community willingness to discuss child protection

issues, which are often met with resistance. There is also scope to leverage on the other programmes/activities of the NGO in the community which could provide critical resources which include people, infrastructure and funds. In the initial phase, the NGO plays a key role as the driver of CPC formation; later, once the CPC is formed, it takes the role of a facilitator, and as the CPCs begin to function and stabilize, its role should change to that of a monitor and catalyst (Refer Chapter 0 for the phase-wise role of the NGOs as facilitators).

» ICPP is a UNICEF programme which was launched in 2009 in Tamil Nadu and was implemented in select districts. » Education Department and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Deaprtment of Health and Family Welfare and National Rural Health Mission (NRHM),

Department of Labour and Employment, Department of Women and Child Development, Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Social Welfare, , and Department and Panchayati Raj and Rural Development

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In most of the villages children’s issues had not yet been addressed by communities. In this context, dovetailing on existing programmes to initiate conversations in communities and including issues positioned in a certain manner, e.g., “out-of-school children” is a useful strategy to introduce child protection. Leveraging the NGO programs enables identification of the most active and concerned committees/bodies/officials and individuals in the community, whose support may be elicited at a later stage as members of the CPC or for mobilizing community resources for programmes.

Identification of existing programmes as entry points to initiate conversations in communities

Finding neutral entry points through government schemes, welfare and development programs, projects, existent committees and groups/clubs such as the Nehru Yuva Kendra12 youth clubs and NCLP seen in Tamil Nadu, and SHGs anchored by NGOs seen in Maharashtra and Gujarat have served as effective bridges into the communities.

» http://www.nyks.org/About%20Us.html12


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Phase II - Preparing communities for child protection

The focus in this phase is to lay the foundation for child protection work in the village by obtaining a consensus from the community, and establishing the need for CPCs at the village level.

Information gathering processes such as a baseline survey provides evidence which establishes the need for the community to focus on child protection, and helps map out and locate children’s vulnerabilities and needs. An analysis of information also indicates the level of change required to be brought, and provides a starting point for child protection. In many places need for and planning of the baseline survey was discussed at the village level with Panchayat members and village workers including the AWW, teachers, ANM and others.

In Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Tamil Nadu, a door-to-door survey was conducted wherein child specific data (Basic demographic data; presence, access to services (health, education ) was collected by the project teams with volunteers identified by the Panchayat to support the baseline survey. In West Bengal, this door-to-door survey was conducted following the CPC formation. Also, the survey was conducted by the CPC members. Through this process the CPC members became directly aware of the magnitude of the issues that confronted them, especially with regard to trafficking that was prevalent in the village. For instance, members of a CPC in North 24 Paraganas district, through the survey, identified 21 girls that were trafficked from the village over the last six years. This motivated them, even more, to focus their attention on the issue of trafficking and to demand awareness, on the same, from the lead NGO.

Phase II

Phase III

Gathering information related to children

Selection, appointment and training of volunteers

Initiating Children’s Groups, Adolescent Girls’ Groups and Youth Groups

Sharing findings of baseline survey/child specific information

Gathering information related to children


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Sharing findings of baseline survey/child specific informationThe findings are shared with the Panchayat, district administration and the community. They enable prioritization and planning of activities. It also serves as a building block towards convergence of services and resources at the village level. Quantitative data provides evidence of CP issues. It helps in getting communities to recognise the need to understand CP and undertake activities to make their communities safe and protective. Qualitative data on attitude and perceptions facilitate strategy and planning of activities.

In Salem district, Tamil Nadu, the baseline survey indicated the number of child marriage cases. It enabled the education department realize the need to make communities aware of the importance of education and the legislation that prohibits child marriage. The department of education and the DRDA immediately undertook production of IEC material (pamphlets) that was distributed by the village link volunteers to the community. In both Salem and Dharmapuri districts of Tamil Nadu, the baseline survey findings were also shared with members of the community at the time of announcement and launch of the CPC.

In Sanghavi, a village in Yavatmal district in Maharashtra, the findings of the baseline survey conducted indicated that nine girls in their early teens had dropped out-of-school. It was discussed at the training of the volunteers. Further enquiry revealed that the girls dropped out-of-school because

(i) there was no secondary school in the village

(ii) the closest secondary school was in the adjacent village and there was no safe and convenient means of transportation to enable the girls get there.

The issue was presented before the Beat Officer (BO) and State Transport Depot Manager of the area. Ascertaining the need for transport through a survey, the authorities started a bus service between the two villages. This motivated not only the parents of the nine girls who had dropped out but even other parents to send their children to the secondary school in the adjacent village. This positive action on the part of the State, gave confidence to members of the community. They began to raise other child protection related matters with the village volunteers. These included child labour, school drop outs, child marriage and malnutrition.

CASE STUDY


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Selection, appointment and training of volunteers

Volunteers , mostly youth, are selected from each village to play the role of village-level ambassadors, and to anchor the child protection activities in the village. Belonging to the communities in which they work, these young people are insightful on attitudes and traditions that prevail in their communities. These insights guide and inform the volunteers to determine the path of discussions, activities undertaken, and communication material developed. Across some states, volunteers have been selected as part of the

project teams. These volunteers are selected with the support of the Panchayat – at times during a Gram Sabha meeting, which provides the volunteers a mandate from the village. Volunteers are unpaid positions. Trainings for the volunteers selected on developmental issues with special focus on child protection are carried out at various intervals, including in the initial phase of the project (Refer to the role of Volunteers in the next section).

The family of Bhagyasree, a sixteen-year-old girl from Kothaloni village, Assam, had accepted a marriage proposal for her. The awareness she had gained being a member of the adolescent girls’ group on the implications of early marriage and of the protection she had under PCMA gave her the courage to stand up against it. When her attempts to persuade her family failed, she informed the adolescent girls group of which she was a member, who in turn informed the local CPC. Some CPC members visited Bhagyasree’s home, apprised the family of the implications of early marriage, and the importance of her continuing education. Bhagyasree's family was not convinced. But they were persuaded to attend the next CPC meeting. At this meeting they were informed of the law relating to child marriage. Bhagyasree’s father then made a written commitment to abide by the law and not to get his daughter married before she attained the age of 18 years and without her consent.

Children’s groups, adolescent girls’ groups and youth groups are important platforms to empower these key stakeholders by generating awareness about their rights, and by informing them about the benefits of having a collective voice. Children’s and adolescent girls’ groups are formed in the states, where comprehensive community-based interventions are implemented, and play a vital catalytic role in the community processes. It is positive to observe that that the groups are growing outwards to include non-school going children from the community.

Initiating children’s groups, adolescent girls’ groups and youth groups

CASE STUDY

» For the purpose of this report volunteers refer to youth interested in development issues, committed to ensure safe spaces for children. These volunteers have observed to be in the 20-35 age categories.

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Phase III - Formation of Child Protection Committees (CPC)

In Phase III the focus is on identifying, sensitizing and training CPC members on CP and their role in creating a protective net for children.

Phase III

Phase IV

Formal Communication from DM/DC to the head of the Panchayat

Training of CPC members

Operational aspects of CPC

Identification of CPC members of CPC

Formal communication from DM/DC to the head of the panchayat

A formal communication from the DM/DC seeks support from the head of the Panchayat for the constitution and functioning of CPC at the village and block level. It outlines the need for the CPC and specifies who the members of the CPC should be. Based on this letter the head of the Panchayat directs the formation of the CPC at the village. The recognition given by the district administration to the CPC gives them more validity and confidence to demand action from various departments and institutions. Such communication at the time of formation of the CPC was received from the DC in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and the district office of the Department of Women and Child Development in Maharashtra.

In Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, state orders have been issued by the Department of Panchayati Raj and Department of Women and Child Development respectively for formation of block level and village level CPCs


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ICPS - Every village shall have a Child Protection Committee under the Chairpersonship of the village level elected representative (Head of the Gram Panchayat) to recommend and monitor the implementation of child protection services at the village level. The committee shall include two child representatives, a member of the DCPS, anganwadi workers, school teachers, auxiliary nurse midwives, as well as respected village members and civil society representatives.

» Panchayat Secretary and VRO in Andhra Pradesh; Panchayat Secretary and Village Administrative Officer in Tamil Nadu; Village Mitanin in Chhattisgarh, President/Secretary of Labour Union in Assam, Parents in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, Gram Sevakin Maharashtra, VRO and Ward Panchayat Representive in Rajasthan

» Representative from mothers club and community mobilizer in Assam; SHG representative, village volunteer and dairy cooperative representative in Gujarat; SHG representative, village volunteer, representative from Tanta Mukta Samiti (Conflict Resolution Committee), representative from farmers cooperative and police patil in Maharashtra; Child Welfare Officer in Rajasthan; SHG representative and village volunteer in Tamil Nadu; SHG representative and rehabilitated trafficker in West Bengal

Identification of members of CPC

It has been observed that states mostly meet the ICPS criterion on who should be included as part of the CPC. As observed the CPC includes the aganwadi worker across all states, so also the Panchayat President.

It is important to involve those people who are directly involved in and concerned with the affairs of the community. In the tea gardens of Assam the Welfare Officer recruited for each tea estate (under the Plantations Labour Act, 1951)plays the role of the chief functionary of the CPC, and represents the tea estate management on the committees

All CPCs have representation from schools; this may be through the presence of the school headmaster or teacher. Further, it was observed that all states have child/youth/both representatives as members of its CPC. In Tamil Nadu, issues raised by children at the Children’s Parliament are presented by the Village Link Volunteer, who is a member of the CPC.

In Rajasthan, representatives from DCPU have now been included as members of CPC. One of the possible reasons for absence of DPCU representatives in CPCs in other states could be the fact that DCPS are only now in the process of being formed.

Attempts have also been made to include individuals who have statutory recognition14 and individuals who are recognised owing to the committees/groups15 they represent. The right mix of individuals help CPCs to remain active, especially at a stage where there is a limited formality (unlike SMCs) and profile available to CPCs. Conscious efforts to ensure representation from all sections of the community is also important to address issues of social inclusion and equity.

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In Andhra Pradesh, identifying village officials on the basis of their statutory responsibility have included the Panchayat Secretary and the VRO as members in the CPC, as the former is responsible for issuing birth certificates and the latter is entrusted with responsibility of issuing Marriage Certificates.

While every state has representation from the school, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have made a conscious attempt to include a SMC member in addition to the teacher/headmaster. By having an SMC member in CPC issues raised with regard to the school get speedier attention;

Out of the nine states four found value in including the SHG representative and three in having a village volunteer as members of the CPC. It is interesting to observe that West Bengal has identified and consciously attempted at including the rehabilitated trafficker (an individual who was previously a trafficker) in the village to be a member.


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Operational aspects of CPC

Certain guidelines and rules ensure regular and effective functioning of a committee. These guidelines would not only bring structure but would also ensure that the committee does not move away from its primary goal. On the basis of the documentation provided by the states and discussion certain operational aspects of the CPC have been highlighted below.

Ü CPC must meet on a monthly basis on a fixed date and time and have a pre-decided agenda

Ü Presence of 2/3rd of members necessary for decisions of the CPC meeting to be valid16

Ü The CPC needs to have a procedure for conduct, withdrawal and termination of its member

Ü Annual evaluation of the CPC to be facilitated by the lead NGO17

Ü All meetings must be documented in a structured format so as to ensure that issues are acted on/referred to the concerned stakeholder and followed-up on in the next meeting

Ü The CPC reports to the village panchayat and gaon panchayat sabha on the issues of protection faced by the village/GP and report actions initiated by the committee to address the concerns

Ü The CPC maintains a tracking register in which information related to children in the village (age, school going, gender, vulnerability, special needs etc.) is stored

» Rules and Regulations have been formulated for CPCs in West Bengal » A CPC self-evaluation tool has been created. The evaluation is conducted on a quarterly basis. A similar evaluation is conducted of the grassroot

organisations by the lead NGO to assess its performance.


Child protection issues are complex, and initiating discussions on the same becomes especially difficult when such issues are not recognised as concerns. Creating awareness, sensitizing the members on the issues, and informing them on their role through training and capacity building workshops becomes necessary. In a number of cases, select members of each CPC are trained at a district/block level programme organized by the lead NGO and UNICEF. Such training programmes are normally conducted for approximately 40 CPC members from 20 villages. In some states, this training is considered to be a TOT programme, where these members will go back to

their villages and orient other member of the CPC with the help of the trained youth volunteers and NGO representatives of that village. The lead NGO village representatives also provide a lot of informal orientation and guidance to the CPCs on daily basis through phone calls and during monthly visit to the villages. In some cases, e.g., in Tamil Nadu, the entire CPCs were provided training at the village level.

The content of the training includes concepts of child rights, child protection, the UNCRC, excerpts from the baseline study, and case study analysis and discussion, role of CPC members.

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In order to ensure effective functioning of CPCs, certain key programmatic areas as identified below are focussed on.

The CPC have been formed through rigorous and intensive processes. However, they are still nascent in their functioning. Outlined below is a case study of the functioning of the CPC in Kurnool district, Andhra

Convergence

Intervention

Programmatic Areas of CPC

Awareness on child rights and child

protection issues

Phase IV: Functioning of the CPC

Pradesh, which demonstrates how the CPC takes proactive steps towards addressing child protection issues.


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Upperapally is a village in Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh with close to 50% population belonging to the backward community and 30% to the scheduled castes. The baseline survey found that 20 children were employed/out-of-school (OSC), while still others, mostly girls were dropping of school out as the high school was 4 km away and there was no transport. Many families migrate annually to Guntur and Kadapa in search of work. Close to 26 child marriages took place in the last one year.

The facilitator NGO undertook an awareness campaign using the findings of the baseline survey in their discussions. As the awareness creation and sensitization on child rights issues continued, the community began recognize the relevance of a committee dedicated to address children’s issues. The training provided to the CPC, not only sensitized them on what constitutes a CP violation but they learned how to deal with the issue.

The CPC took up each issue identified by the baseline survey.

Ü The issue of child labour was addressed with families through a door to door campaign families were informed of the importance of education.

Ü Children out-of-school were enrolled and their retention is being monitored.

Ü The issue of girl children dropping out because of the extensive distance to be travelled to the high school was partly resolved by the distribution of bicycles for some children and arranging an auto-rickshaw to pick and drop the others.

Ü Through the continual awareness created on child marriage, 9 child marriages were stopped. Following a series of discussion between CPC members and NREG officials and door to door campaign.

Ü SSA funds were obtained to ensure water and toilet facilities in the school.

Programmatic areas of CPC

The role of the CPC as is seen in Chapter 0presents how the CPC’s primary goal is to create a protective environment that anticipates and prevents child rights violations. Through interactive methods that include dialogue, orientation, community recreation programmes, it brings together families, service providers, and duty bearers for the protection and safety of children. Some programmatic areas that can be taken up by the CPC on an ongoing basis are enumerated as under :

Ü Awareness on child rights and child protection issue

Ü Intervention in specific cases of violation of children’s rights

Ü Convergence

CASE STUDY


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Awareness on child rights and child protection issue

Creating awareness on subjects related to development and protection of children is necessary to ensure that the community is familiar and sensitized, and is able to identify protection concerns.

All CPCs start with child rights awareness programmes. At the initial phase, these are facilitated by NGOs. Careful attention is paid to ensure that these activities are sensitive to the local culture, and have messages targeted to all members of the community including youth, women, children, and the elderly. Through these awareness activities the CPC and its role is publicised in the community.

In Kurnool district, Andhra Pradesh, Kalajatha (street theatre) was used to create awareness among the people, village and mandal level officials. The skits and songs made an emotional connection to the people. Wall writings and IEC material were used extensively to disseminate key messages on child labour and child marriages. They also conducted meetings and discussions with important stakeholders, to share findings of the base line survey and facilitating the action required.

In Vadodara, Gujarat at six-monthly intervals, 3 continuous days of child rights are observed to keep child protection issues in focus. ‘NanhaiHaathKalam Kai Saath” campaign which ran from 2010-12 to created awareness on the harm and implication of migration and working as child labourers on the BT cotton fields in Gujarat.

Intervention in specific cases of violation of children’s rights

The CPC’s role is to create a preventive net for ensuring that rights of the child are not violated, and, that immediate action is taken if and when the child falls out of the protection net. Since the members of the CPC are entirely drawn from the village community, they are best positioned to make early detection of cases of child rights violation and take necessary action including reporting the matter to the concerned authorities and following up on the same. The CPC should provide support and guidance to children’s families to ensure that cases are taken up appropriately with the concerned authorities. Routine visits to schools, health care centres, and homes of children would keep members informed of children’s issues that need attention and action.

S’s is a case in which information that she was trafficked was gathered in the course of a routine visit by the village volunteer. This volunteer immediately alerted and shared the information with CPC members.

At the CPC meeting convened, it was decided to

Ü take the help of a rehabilitated trafficker in the village and

Ü visit the parents to gather any additional information.

Taking action the CPC

Ü visited and reassured the parents of S’s return

Ü pressurised the trafficker who had trafficked Sheila to divulge her whereabouts

Ü informed the Police and formed a rescue team and

Ü rescued Sheila from the residence where she was put to work at in Kolkatta and brought her back home.

Following up and to ensure that Sheila does’nt get trafficked again, the child was enrolled in the lead NGO’s activity centre. Later, she was mainstreamed in Government School.


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Gathering all relevant information in a timely manner, and with regularity is vital to understanding key child protection concerns.

Systematic follow-up of all the cases of child protection ensures that all children in the community are protected at all times.

S a 13 yr old girl from Jelepara village, West Bengal was identified as missing on the routine survey rounds conducted by the village volunteer. On enquiring the volunteer was informed of how S being taken to Kolkatta by a certain individual and all contact with her was lost.

S was restored to her parents and enrolled in the lead NGO’s activity centre. Later she was mainstreamed in a Government School.

Listen, Observe, Question

Follow up

Please Note: The picture in the centre has no relationship with the case study mentioned here.


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Decide

Share

Act

Sharing all the gathered information with key stakeholders helps in planning a course of action in the best interests of children

Collective decisions with a sense of urgency results in an agreement on actions to be taken, and the roles of stakeholders

Organized, systematic, and prompt actions in the best interests of the child results in protection of children

The CPC members visited the parents and reassured them that they would help in getting S back. They visited and pressurised the trafficker who had trafficked S. CPC members informed the local police, and police, along with CPC members formed a rescue team. S was rescued by the team from the residence where she had been put to work and exploited and brought back to the village

The village CPC discussed and decided to

Ü take the help of a rehabilitated trafficker in the village

Ü visit the parents to gather any additional information.

The village volunteer informed the CPC of the same and of how the trafficker had duped S’s parents on the pretext that she would have a good life in Kolkatta and for a paltry sum of money that he gave them.


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Convergence

As mentioned earlier, for CPCs to become an integral part of a comprehensive child protection system as a primary prevention mechanism, they have to remain in sync with the secondary and tertiary structures, which focus on providing more support and intensive interventions to fewer children and families.

The CPC would function most effectively when it works in a convergent manner with other existing village groups and committees, government authorities /departments-education, health labour, women and child, social justice/welfare, and panchayati raj, statutory structures and services under the JJA and ICPS.

In practice, this would mean that CPC members will not only be able to undertake work on primary prevention – e.g., prevention of child labour, but will also be able to identify and link vulnerable families to social protection schemes, and be able to work with the response system to effectively restore and reintegrate children with their families by establishing formal follow-up loops with the response system.

In Kunool district, Andhra Pradesh on the basis of the feedback on school sanitation issues from the CPCs a survey was initiated in nearly 400 schools. The findings of this survey on school sanitation were used at various state level advocacy forums. This resulted in the formation of state and district level school sanitation task forces. Further it also led to the idea of linking the same with MGNREGA programme on school sanitation issues. Presently the NREGA Department, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh is in the process of developing plans to support school sanitation in Kurnool district


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Role of Stakeholders This section summarizes the key roles played by various stakeholders during the process of formation and functioning of CPCs. Majority of the roles mentioned here have been identified through discussions with stakeholders.

NGO-self preparation:

To undertake internal preparation-organize human resources (project team), prepare team for the activities to follow-read up on ICPS, JJA other relevant literature on child protection, train and brief team on meetings, content of conversations, put a tentative18 plan in place

Introductory Meetings:

To convene initial introductory meetings with stakeholders of the community to: orient them to the need for and meaning of child protection in the community; to gain their buy in, support and leadership for setting up and functioning of CPC; and to seek their support in specific areas as enumerated in the table below:

Stakeholder PurposeDistrict Collector Ü To obtain a letter from the DM recognizing CPC as part of ICPS,

and to elicit support for formulation of CPC. Panchayat Members Ü To nominate/suggest members to the CPC

Ü Introduce the baseline survey to the community Ü To get community to support in the form of financial resources

and people for the baseline survey Village workers Ü Elicit support for baseline survey

Ü Identify potential members for CPC Ü Support for identification of youth volunteers Ü Identify individuals who could take a position on issues and

influence opinion of the community Ü Elicit participation in activities of CPC

Youth groups Ü Support in data collection for baseline survey Ü Identification of potential youth child protection volunteers Ü Organizing CP awareness and other programs Ü Potential members of CPC

Phase I – Plan, Ideate, Advocate

The role of NGO as a facilitator

» Even though the pace of activity will be determined by the response of the community, the NGO must have a tentative plan outlining timelines for activities in place

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Phase II – Preparing communities for child protection

Conduct Baseline Survey: The baseline survey is conducted under the guidance of UNICEF

Ü Formulation of tools Ü Data collection by NGO team and volunteers of the community Ü Data Analysis and report presentation Ü Presentation of findings of data to the Panchayat members, district administration

and community members

Developing village level teams of child protection volunteers

Ü Selection and appointment of a team of 2-4 volunteers depending on the size of the village

Ü Training of volunteers on basics of child rights, understanding of child protection, facilitation of children’s groups, documentation

Ü Creating a plan of activities for volunteers

Formation of children’s and adolescent girl’s groups

Ü Guide volunteers to identify children for the group Ü Work out logistics of the group along with volunteers-place, date and time of

meeting, documentation of discussions, refreshments if any Ü Develop discussion guidelines, activities to be undertaken by the group Ü Guide volunteers on how to facilitate structuring of the group, leadership roles

from among the children, plan for follow-up on activities, and issues taken up by the children

Ü Guide volunteers to facilitate interface between children and duty bearers.

Phase III: Formation of CPCs

Formal communication from DC/DM: The letter from the DM to the Panchayat head must be obtained prior to formation of the CPC

Ü Brief on CPC and its role Ü Request to Panchayat head to convene and chair the committee Ü Provide a list of who the members should be

Finalization of membership of CPC

Ü Meet the Panchayat head to discuss final list of members Ü Meet members if additional convincing is necessary

Announcement of CPC Ü At the Gram Panchayat meeting Ü Organize a separate program/combine with a community event to launch/

announce CPC

Assist CPC to organize awareness programmes

Ü Give ideas on nature of programs Ü Encourage CPC to formulate a plan of action Ü Facilitate planning and coordination between CPC, CP volunteers, village workers,

children’s and youth groups Ü Be present for awareness programs


Ü The whole CPC at the village level or some of them at the district level Ü Training content -basic orientation to child rights, child protection, findings of

baseline survey, role of CPC and developing of a CP plan for the village

Facilitate operational aspects of the CPC

Ü Ensure that CPC meets on a monthly basis on a fixed date and time. Ü Help CPC develop a TOR including their role, code of conduct, quorum and

decision making Ü Attend all monthly meetings in years 1&2 after formation of CPC Ü Create a template for setting the agenda, and recording of decisions, and ensure

that there is a register for the same. Ü Facilitate discussions for the first few meetings till they get used to the desired

format of discussions.


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Phase IV: Functioning of CPCs

Facilitate formulation of annual plan for the CPC

Ü Bring together some members of CPC, CP volunteers and children’s groups, Childline 1098 and NGOs to formulate the plan

Ü Members to present plan to head of CPC for approval at monthly meeting Ü Ensure discussion on mobilizing local resources for programs

Facilitate coordination and communication between

Ü CPC, youth volunteers and children’s groups Ü CPC and local administration (BDO, B/MO, DCPU, CWC etc.) Ü CPC and other development oriented committees

Ideate with the CPC and infuse different thought on

Ü Programmatic areas Ü Activities Ü Child rights issues

Facilitate review of CP on a quarterly basis

Ü Activities and programs undertaken Ü Data of baseline survey Ü Coordination and convergence with other committees, schemes, and services Ü Cases intervened Ü Documentation of CPC

Update the Baseline Survey

Ü Systematize updating the baseline survey through dip stick surveys at a regular interval.

Ü Support CPC to undertake the same. Ü Analyse data and create reports.

Regular Training and orientation

Ü Formulate a training plan. Content should include protocols for action and coordination, understanding issues and CP, data and documentation

Ü Tie-ups with existing training programs can be explored. Training could be at the village and district level for village frontline workers, Administration, CP volunteers, Children’s groups, CPC members

Monitoring of child rights in the village: Build the desire, capacity and mobilize communities to demand CP through

Ü Public dialogues Ü Public hearings on specific cases of violation Ü Social audit of CP services and system

Ü Identify CP violation cases

Ü Create awareness on child rights and CP in the village

Ü Continually interact with village officials and members from other existent village committees and keep them updated on child issues

Ü Ensure functioning of Children’s and Youth groups

Ü Document/ensure CPC minutes are recorded and submitted regularly

Role of volunteers


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Ü Create awareness and ensure that children/adolescents in the village are of these groups and are aware of their rights

Ü Provide a space where children/adolescents can express themselves and raise issues that concern them

Ü Act as watchdogs and to immediately raise an alarm/complain to the village volunteer/CPC/ 1098/100 in case of any child rights violation

Ü Aid the village volunteer in identifying the out-of-school children and other CP violations

Ü Document the discussions from the Children’s/Adolescents meetings

Ü Ensure that issues that require the villages attention is presented before the CPC

Role of children’s group/s and adolescent girls/youth groups

Roles of CPC members

Ü Creating awareness on child rights issues in the village by

Ą Initiating discussions/providing information (Kalajatha/folk songs) on child issues in Gram Sabha’s, SHG, adolescent girls groups, children’s group forums, other committees existing at the village level

Ą Celebrating festivals and conducting events on for eg –child labour day, women’s day, girl child day, disability day etc

Ü Ensuring the formation and regular functioning of children’s and adolescent groups

Ą Ensuring the groups meet regularly and children/youth attend these meetings

Ą Providing information on child rights and CP issues

Ą Guiding the groups especially in the initial phase in terms of

• What needs to be discussed

• What is the role of these groups in the village

• How and whom the groups can report to in case of any child rights violation

• Ensuring representation of 2 members from each of these groups in the CPC


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Ü Keeping and regularly updating the data base of all children in the village

Ą To ensure that all new born children are registered and get birth certificates

Ą To ensure all out-of-school children are mainstreamed

Ą To track and assess those children that might be vulnerable to early marriage, trafficking, child labour, instances of discrimination and other violations of child rights

Ą To ensure no child marriage takes place

Ü Rehabilitating child labourers /migrant labour/orphan child etc through community support or the available social protection schemes

Ü Response to child rights violation

Ą Ensuring a complaint is filed in the nearest police station if a child is kidnapped, missing or is suspected to be trafficked

Ą Informing children about the action being taken in case of any child rights violation

Ą Escalate cases to CWC, DCPU, Police, Childline for intervention

Ą To ensure legal intervention in case of any offence against a child that falls within the purview of the IPC, JJA, POCSO, CLPRA and other legislation.

Ü Aiding/linking the vulnerable family’s access to social protection schemes

Ü Leverage local financial resources for CP activities that may be drawn from panchayat funds, SSA, WASH, ICPS, NREGA and others.

Ü Regularly monitoring the village school, aganwadi, health centre – infrastructure adequacy; human resource availability and functioning etc

Ü Maintaining contact with the other existent committees in the village to ensure the issue of the child is represented

Ü Establishing contact and maintaining database of institutions and organisations providing services for orphans, disabled, vocational training; local statutory body – CWC/JJB/CWOs; local CHILDLINE; BCPC; DCPU

Ü Advocacy and liaison with local administration/allied departments etc.

Ü Meeting every month to discuss and monitor CP/CR situation & take appropriate action

Ą To ensure the minutes of the meeting is documented

Ą To ensure that issues are acted on/ referred to the concerned stakeholder and followed-up on in the next meeting

Ü Referring issues that cannot be addressed at the Panchayat level to BLTF / DLTF for addressal.


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Recommendations In facilitating the formation of CPC across the ten states, UNICEF played a key role in preparing state governments, district administration and civil society for setting up of the CPC. The experience across different states has flagged certain issues for thought and consideration while scaling up CPC to all districts. The necessity of such a state level facilitator, its role and who could play this role would need thought. Similarly, the necessity and role of

civil society organizations as facilitators of CPC at the district and sub-district level would be necessary. Financial resources for long-term funding of facilitating organizations would need to be provided for.

Some specific recommendations for formation and functioning of CPC to the State and District Child Protection Units and CSOs are outlined below:

Systematize the process of setting up, functioning of CPC and tracking of CP in the village:

A getting-started kit for setting up of CPC:

Acknowledging that any new initiative requires a period of gestation and that localized adaptation of tools would be necessary, the time taken to set up a CPC can be brought down substantially if aided by a set of standardized tools.

Develop guidelines for information gathering/baseline survey:

A standardized system for developing and updating the baseline survey at regular intervals is recommended. Thought could be invested to see if the baseline data could be linked to other official systems of collection of data like the NFHS, Census etc.

Develop guidelines for selection and monitoring of volunteers:

The process for selection, and monitoring of volunteers needs spelt out clearly; modalities of roles and relationships and coordination between CPC, Panchayat, other committees, and contact NGO need clarification for better effectiveness, frequency and relevance of content in training of volunteers needs to be reviewed.


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Develop Guidelines on how to set up and ensure regular effective functioning of Children’s Groups:

There needs to be tools to guide facilitators on setting up and engaging with children’s groups. Children need orientation on their rights, complaint mechanisms, how they can be used, how they can address issues and raise a collective voice, and their role as whistle blowers in the community.

Annual plan for CPC and role transition of lead NGO:

Every CPC must have an annual plan against which it can be evaluated. Such a plan must include routine activities, training and exposure, continuous awareness programs, annual events, routine planning meetings and periodic review. The NGO must over a period of time after the initial year of functioning of the CPC, identify certain indicators of performance of the CPC based on which, it can transition out of the role of facilitator into a role of a catalyst mobilizing the community to monitor the status of child rights, and can function as a resource agency for awareness, and capacity building.

Documentation and Record Keeping:

Standardized formats for recording minutes of meetings, resolutions passed by CPCs, and developing monitoring and tracking tools such as registers will help CPCs document and monitor their own work. In some states, such standard formats have been developed, which should be shared widely for adaptation and use across CPCs.

Financial Resources and budget for CPC and facilitating NGOs under ICPS:

ICPS does not provide any funds for activities of the CPC. In the absence of a budget the programs are dependent on funds that can be allocated by the facilitating NGO, government departments, and panchayat budgets. The lead NGO also requires human resources and would incur administrative costs which need to be covered. Communication and awareness also require budgets. The restrictions imposed by the lack of funds throw plans into disarray, and de-motivate individuals working in the field. A precedence of active CPCs having demonstrated results would present a strong case for advocacy for budgets for CPC to be included in ICPS and elsewhere. In the interim the DCPU budgets can be deployed for activities of the CPC.


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Awareness and Communication:

Awareness and communication on child protection is a key area of work for the CPC and the facilitating NGO. Communication style and messages must be adapted to suit local culture and sensibility. Communication needs to be strategic, and planned and phased in its intensity. Resources would need to be set aside for the same at the district and village level. The CPC must have an annual plan for awareness and communication. Campaigns would be more effective if they are topical and respond to current cases of abuse or violence taking place in the village, district or even in other parts of the country. Awareness programs must also integrate with other existing development oriented awareness programs in the community.

Training for the CPC, its stakeholders and participants:

It is important to have an on-going system for orientation and perspective building. The training component for all stakeholders at the village level (CPC members, Children’s groups, NGOs and CP volunteers) needs to be standardized in allowing for local adaptation in terms of content, periodicity, intensity, and relevance of training content for different stakeholders. The incorporation of technology to widen the reach of high quality training must be considered.

Child protection policy (CPP) and guidelines for CPC, facilitating NGO and associates:

The CPC, facilitating NGO and associates (members, NGOs, CP volunteers) would need to ensure child-safe practices and procedure. A CPP would have to be developed and made operational in all transactions of the CPC and the facilitating NGO. The CPP must also outline protocols for intervention and action for the CPC in cases of CP violations in the community. On-going orientation and training of all on the need for the CPP and its implementation would need to be conducted periodically.

Development of CP youth volunteers:

The village level CP volunteers are unpaid and mostly unskilled youth. They are a critical link between the community and the CPC. They would benefit from a growth path that would enable them take forward their work experience as CP youth volunteers. It could include monetary incentive, training and certification, scholarships to pursue higher studies, funding/loans to set up their own enterprises, job opportunity in local NGOs, DCPS, and Childline.


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The experience of formation of CPC has demonstrated that the CPCs can be the community level hub of a child protection system that weaves together a protective network of family, community, and services, which fortify children with a system that anticipates and prevents child protection violations, and which seamlessly works together in response to children who are at risk or in unsafe situations, where their rights are violated.

The CPC must emerge as the first point of contact in the community for child protection. It needs to be scaled up to cover all villages in the country; hinged on to other components of a protective system including and extending beyond the bodies19 that exist under the ICPS and the JJA; roles and relationships of different state and civil society entities, and interdependencies between them to be determined at

the village level and outwards; financial resources need to be set aside for human resources and activities; a plan and resources for capacity building of human resource needs to be set in place.

Formation and strengthening of community-based child protection committees will be a critical first steps towards realizing the commitment made towards creating a protective environment for all children in the National Policy for Children, 201320. The Government and civil society must move forward in unison to establish child protection committees in a timely, systematic and phased manner, over a finite period of time, with active involvement and participation from the community, families, and children.

» Bodies that exist under JJA and ICPS=CWC, JJB, SJPU, Childline 1098, DCPU, SCPS, SCPC, DCPC, BCPC and CPC. » MWCD,2013.

Conclusion

Decide

Share

Follow Up

Act

Listen, Observe, Question

1920


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State Names of District/s

Lead Govt Department

NGOs/CBOs

Andhra Pradesh

Ü Kurnool Ü Warangal

Ü Department of Women and Child Welfare

Ü M.V.Foundation, Hyderabad Ü Sramik VikasaKendram, Kurnool Ü Sadhana , Hyderabad Ü Tarangini, Warangal Ü MARI , Warangal Ü F.M.M.Sisters, Warangal

Assam Ü Dibrugarh Ü Kokrajhar Ü Sonitpur Ü Sibsagar Ü Tinsukia

Ü District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) in Dibrugarh.

Ü Assam Branch of India Tea Association (ABITA); Ü Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP); Ü Nedan Foundation; Ü North East Research and Social Work Networking

(NERSWN); Ü Assam Mahila Samata Society (AMSS)

Chhattisgarh Ü Sukma Ü Tribal Welfare Department, District administration

Ü MV Foundation (previous partnership)

Gujarat Ü Banaskantha Ü Bhavnagar Ü Kutch Ü Patan Ü Rajkot Ü Vadodara

Ü Department of Social Justice and Empowerment

Ü Baroda Citizens Council Ü Pratikar Trust Ü Shroffs Foundation Trust Ü M G Patel Sarvodaya Kendra Ü Sahyog Pragati Mandal Ü Navrachna Mahila Vikas Trust Ü Anarde Foundation Ü Shree Vivekanand Research and Training Institute-

Kutch Ü Yusuf Meherally Centre Ü Gandhi Sevasharm, Kutch Ü Ganatar Ü Yoganjali Kelavani Mandal Ü Swami Vivekanand Sewa Trust- Patan Ü Ahmedabad Women’s Action Group Ü Mahiti Trust Ü Vivekanand Research and Training Institute-

Bhavnagar Ü Gram Nirman Samaj Ü Navjeevan Trust Ü Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (I) Ü Cohesion Foundation Ü Saurashtra Voluntary Action Rajkot

Karnataka Ü Raichur Ü Koppal

Ü Department of Women and Child Development

Ü Jana Chaitanya

Maharashtra Ü Jalna Ü Yavatmal

Ü Department of Women and Child Development

Ü Yuva Vedh Manch Ü Janseva Pratishthan Ü Priyadarshani Mahila Gramin Kalyan Sanstha Ü Vikasganga Samajsevi Sanstha Ü Navvidya Bahuudeshiya Sanstha Ü Gramin Samasya Mukti Trust Ü Srujan Ü Jai Ambe Ü Society for Action in Creative Education and

Development (SACRED) Ü Swaraj Ü Madan Bahuudeshiya Sevabhavi Sanstha Ü Maharashtra Shikshan and Sanskrutik Mandal

Partnerships


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State Names of District/s

Lead Govt Department

NGOs/CBOs

Rajasthan Ü Dungarpur Ü Udaipur

Ü Department of Socail Justice and Empowerment /Directorate for Child Rights

Ü Jan Shikha Vikash Sangation Ü Kalpna Kalyan Sansthan Ü Rajasthan Bal Kalyan Sansthan Ü Bharuka Charitable Trust Ü UNNATI Ü Gayatri Seva Sansthan Ü Gandhi Manav Kalyan Sansthan Ü Mahan Seva Sansthan

Tamil Nadu Ü Dharmapuri Ü Krishnagiri Ü Salem

Ü Department of Labour

Uttar Pradesh Ü Jaunpur Ü Mirzapur Ü Sonebhadra

Ü Department of Labour

Ü Department of WCD

Ü Department of Home Affairs

Ü Azad Shiksha Kendra Ü Vatsalya Ü Poorvanchal Gramin Vikas Sansthan Ü People’s Action for National Integration Ü AIM Ü BETI Foundation Ü Krishi Shaikshik Evam Prabandh Sanstha Ü Janak Samiti Ü Dr. Shmbhunath Singh Research Foundation Ü Manav Sewa Kendra Ü Azad Shiksa Kendra Ü Sahbhagi Gramin Vikas Samiti Ü Mahila Prabodhni Foundation Ü Manviya Drishtkone Seva Samiti Ü CREDA Ü Arthik AnushandhanKenda Ü Manviya Sansdan Evam Mahilla Vikas Sansthan Ü PACE Ü Swarg Ü Sarthak Ü NEED Ü SAI JYOTI Ü Duddhi Gramin Vikas Sansthan Ü Gram Swaraj Samati Ü Banwasi Seva Ashram Ü Children Welfare Society

West Bengal Ü Jalpaiguri Ü Malda Ü North 24

Pargana Ü South 24

Pargana

Ü Department of WCD

Ü BalRaksha, Bharat Ü Dhagagia Social Welfare Society Ü Sunderban Social Development Society Ü Bulbulchandi and Barind Development Society Ü Rural Aid


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Child Protection Committees – changing attitudes, shaping perspectives

The Village Child Protection Committee in Mednikhar village includes panchayat members, teachers, the Anganwadi worker, the ANM and ASHA, parents and children’s representatives. A team from UNICEF visited the village and participated in one of the CPC meetings, which happen once every three months, and as required. After regular stocktaking related to education and protection of children from the village, discussions take a sudden turn – a member comes forward to ask the visiting UNICEF team, “Tell us, what you think about the heinous Delhi gang-rape case of 16th December 2013? I believe one of the perpetrators is a 17 year old boy… why should he be not treated as an adult given the nature of crime?” The discussions

In more than 10,000 villages across ten states, child protection committees have taken a proactive role in preventing child marriage and child labour, enrolment of children in schools, and addressed complex and sensitive issues such as sexual violence against children. As these committees come of age, members demonstrate openness to dialogue and increased awareness. As a result, communities adapt positive attitudes, and identify themselves as key stakeholders to address protection concerns of children.

continue for a while. Opinions are shared and views are expressed. Almost all display an inquisitive attitude and openness, rather than being judgmental – a stark contrast from what we saw on live television debates. Members try to understand the background of the boy, and the vulnerabilities of young children who migrate to cities in search of work. As the discussions came to a close, one member says emphatically,

“at the end of the day, as parents and community, we are responsible for protecting our children, and to ensure that they are not exposed to such vulnerabilities that drive them towards crime ”.


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Empowerment Information and knowledge about child protection leads to empowerment of Individuals to become the catalysts for change and action

01Prevention Prevention is at the heart of protecting children from violence, exploitation, and abuse

02

RecognitionRecognition from District Child Protection Units motivate communities and CPCs to understand the siginifcance of their roles

03OrganizationCommunities when organized are more eqippued and influencial to address common concerns

04

CollaborationNGOs and CSOs are valuable and critical partners to promote and strengthen child protection in communities

05DiversityDiverse roles of community members, such as PRIs, teachers, health workers, anganwadi workers, make them important stakeholders

06


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United Nations Children’s Fund73 Lodi EstateNew Delhi – 110 003E-mail: [email protected]

Documents

Preventive Strategies for Child Protection