277 JUST RIGHTS FOR CHILDREN PARTNERS JOIN STRATEGIC PLANNING MEETING AND TRAINING

At the beginning of September, 277 partners met to collectively plan the next stages of the program and participate in trainings during a three-day session in Delhi. Progress updates were provided by each partner, and the setting enabled the partners to assess broader progress on child marriage, child trafficking, and child sexual abuse interventions across states and Union territories.

Senior representatives from the Ministry of Women and Child Development joined the workshop. In addition, experts provided training on the role of support persons, who must be appointed by local Child Welfare Committees to support children who have registered a child sexual abuse case, throughout the duration of the legal process.

Importantly, partners were invited to make their observations on challenges they are encountering in their work. These focused particularly on child sexual abuse, and ranged from the repeated failure of some Child Welfare Committees to appoint support persons, to failures to adhere to the medical examination processes and timings required. One particularly concerning report noted police reluctance to register cases which involve rape within a family (incest).

Partners also made recommendations on how laws and processes can be improved nationally to prevent crimes against children, as well as to better support survivors.

Recommendations included advocating for child marriage education to become part of the school curriculum.