Digital safety plan for children being
leveraged; zero tolerance towards
violence against children need of the hour
By Dr. VK Singh & Neeraj Bajpai
Fresh from her experience in managing emergency
situations, Dr. Yasmin Ali Haque smilingly handles
tsunami of problems as UNICEF’s Representative
in India, lying next to her home Bangladesh.
S
he says UNICEF is working closely with the
government in developing a comprehensive plan
on digital safety for children. Digital literacy is
key to ensuring that all boys and all girls stay
informed, engaged and safe online. There is a need to
galvanize the ‘zero tolerance’ towards violence against
children. In a detailed interview to InnoHEALTH
magazine, she answered a wide range of questions
and elaborated at length, UNICEF’s programmes in
India where safety of children is emerging as a major
concern.
Q. UNICEF is guided by the Convention on the
Rights of the Child (CRC) and strives to establish
children’s rights as enduring ethical principles
and international standards of behaviour towards
children. UNICEF responds in emergencies to
protect the rights of children. What in your views
are the steps that can be taken to protect children
from violence and to ensure their safety?
One important facet of the rights of CRC is to ensure
that children grow in a protective and safe environment,
free of any kind of violence and abuse. Preventing
and responding to sexual violence requires strong
collaboration among stakeholders from diverse walks
of life. UNICEF is committed to working with the
government, civil society organisations, corporates,
media and all the other stakeholders to support society
and families to ensure that children are safe and free from
abuse and exploitation. Guided by the CRC, it is imperative
to act now to break the cycle of violence against children
and protect survivors of violence. In recent years, India
has made significant progress in addressing sexual abuse
against children by having enacted legislations and acted
on a large number of cases. The public has also become
increasingly aware of sexual abuse cases that may have
gone unnoticed years ago due to an increase in reporting
on the issue. Digital media and immediate reporting have
also contributed to this awareness. Still a lot more needs
to be done. Building on these positive developments,
UNICEF collaborates with partners to enhance awareness
of children and parents by focussing on the following
stakeholders:
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Volume 3 | Issue 3 | July-September 2018
• Teachers and school authorities: Sexual violence in
schools is a major area of concern. Schools should
provide information on safety to children and online
safety guidelines can be included in the curriculum.
Schools also need to ensure that teachers are aware
of the provisions of the Protection of Children from
Sexual Offences Act.
• Children: Child-led initiatives empower children to
become advocates of change, voice their demands and
take leadership in the change itself. Listening to children
is also key as they can become vital stakeholders in
their own safety. Decisionmakers, including parents
and teachers, should listen to children so that their
views can be incorporated into policies.
• Civil society organisations, including faith-based
and community-based organisations, can engage
consistently with the communities and share with
them important information around the need to
protect children from any kind of violence and
abuse and co-create local solutions.