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Community Based Child Protection Mechanism in Rural India - A Case Study of Odisha
1.
Community Based Child
Protection Mechanism inRrural
India – A Case Study of Odisha
Sushri Sangita Puhan – Independent consultant, Odisha, India
&
Professor Ravinder Barn – Royal Holloway, University of London
5. Constitutional obligation
Constitution of India guarantees
Right to Equality
Right to life
Free and compulsory education between the age of six
to fourteen years
• Protection from:
Trafficking & forced labour
Employment in factory or mine or any other hazardous
employment
Abuse, exploitation & moral and material abandonment
6. International commitments to children
International Commitments
Ratification of United Nation’s Convention on the
Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989) – 1992
2000- Optional Protocols on Sale of Children, Child
Prostitution & Child Pornography & the Involvement of
Children in Armed Conflict
Ratification of Hague Convention on Protection of
Children & Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country
Adoption in 2003
Other International Covenants & Regional agreements
(SAARC)
7. Legislations for protection of children
Several issue specific legislations introduced –
Trafficking for commercial sexual exploitation
Child Labour
Gender biased sex selection
Child marriage
Adoption
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000 and its amendment act
2006
To provide justice, & rehabilitation services for children in difficult circumstances
Focus on non-institutional care for orphan, abandoned & surrendered children
Commissions for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005
Establishes Commissions for Protection of Child Rights at National & State level
Right of Children to Free & Compulsory Education Act, 2009
Protection of children from Sexual Offences, Act 2012
8. Support services
Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS)
Child line services for children in distress, especially children in need
of care and protection
Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for the Children of Working
Mothers in the age group of 0-6 years
Scheme for Assistance to Homes for Children (Shishu Greha) to
Promote In-Country Adoption for care and protection of
orphans/abandoned/destitute infants or children up to 6 years
Scheme for Working Children in Need of Care and Protection for
children kept as domestic child labour
Pilot Project to Combat the Trafficking of women and Children for
Commercial Sexual Exploitation
National Child Labour Project (NCLP) for rehabilitation of child
labourers
9. Community-based child protection
mechanisms (CBCPM)
Formal groups that work at grassroots level to monitor,
respond to, and prevent child protection issues
Have emerged as preventive and responsive approaches
to address diverse child protection threats that arise at
different levels in the community – used by NGOs &
community actors to safeguard children.
In modern Indian society, such threats can range from
child abuse, child labour, child marriage, child trafficking,
preventing female foeticide and rescue of abandoned
children.
10. Study aims
To identify conceptualisations of child protection and
safeguarding on the part of different actors.
To establish understandings of existing child protection
mechanisms to determine help-seeking behaviour and
practices.
To examine strengths and deficits of CBCPM and their
effectiveness & sustainability
To understand children’s perspective and responsibility
for their own protection
11. Methodology
A qualitative and
participatory methodological
approach – consultation,
focus group discussion and
individual interview.
Thematic framework
analysis
Respondents Number
CBCPM members,
SHG members
30 ( 18 women
and 12 men)
CBCPM
Chairperson
2 (men)
PRI members 2 (1 men and 1
women)
Children/young
people
23 (16 girls and 7
boys)
Social Scientist 1 (woman)
Total 58
12. Key findings : Child protection concerns
Child abuse,
child labour,
School drop out,
child marriage,
migration,
abandoned children,
teenage pregnancy (unwed mother)
Female foeticide
Eve teasing
Alcoholism
Use of mobile – a threat for sexual abuse and elopement
13. Intensity of concern- who is more affected
and why?
Although the intensity of concern is same for both
boys and girls but girls are more affected because
of their status as ‘GIRL’.
Discrimination - family and community
Restricted movement
No space for sharing opinion and expression
14. Reporting child protection concerns
Main sources of referrals include children, neighbours and
other community members.
Parents – incase of missing child, abuses in school
Growing awareness of child protection but low levels of
referrals
“Abuses (Physical, emotional) at home is not reported as it
has been accepted as part of cultural practice. Issues
related to girl child abuse, ill behaviour, exploitation does
not get reported and suppressed due to social taboo and
unfavorable response from family. ”
15. Issues addressed by CBCPMs
Child labour and bonded labour
Girl child marriage
School drop out
Missing child
Abandoned girl child
Child abuse – physical
Trafficking
16. Capacity building and outreach work
Training and orientation to children’s group
Training and refreshers for CPCs.
Street plays and puppet show,
Village meetings,
Meetings with children's group,
Rallies
Campaigns
17. Positive impact
A space has been created for issues affecting children ad steps
taken to address
Gradual changes in practice and attitude towards girls
Significant decline in the rate of girl child marriage
Increased no. of institutional delivery
All children of 6-14 years are in school
No child is engaged in livestock sector and as child labour in
community
Increased no. of women participation in the meetings and
orientation program on child protection
CBCPM members have been selected as resource persons to
capacitate Panchayat level Child Protection Committees
formed by Govt.
18. Challenges
Non-cooperation from families – competing perspectives eg child labour, trafficking,
girl child marriage
Reluctance in reporting and seeking help in case of sexual abuse, female foeticide
Threaten by the abuser
Poor participation of men in sensitization and awareness program
Non-cooperation from local police due to lack of sensitization and understanding on
child protection
Recognition and support by Govt. stakeholders without legal identity
“The committee gets threatened by illicit people in the community those who have
been involved in child abuse and exploitation. There are cases of child trafficking
which identified by the committee. While investigating further the middle man warn
to the committee members not to interfere. At times parents also do not support as
they give importance to the financial benefit incase of children are employed.
Similarly it is difficult to get support from local Police unless there is intervention from
District level
19. Factors contributed to the effectiveness
Responsibility of the CBCPMs and informed community
members
Involvement of PRI members
Génuine child participation
Timeliness of facilitation to address the issue
Resourcing—ongoing training/capacity building
Linkages—engagement with Govt. structures and
support from the stakeholders
20. Policy and practice implication
Legal identity of the committees for better
acceptance at all levels.
Strengthen linkage with Government structures for
access to timely and effective support
More awareness program is still required to
educate people on child protection issues,
consequences and need of reporting.
Educating children with adequate information for
their own protection.
21. Voices of children
Protection from abuse, drugs (taking, making and
selling) and discrimination has been emerged as
top three rights of children. (out of top 5 rights)
Parents should be more sensitized on
discrimination (between boys and girls),
importance of girls’ education, consequences of
alcoholism and abuses.
All children should be trained and oriented on
child protection issues, expected behaviour from
adults and reporting mechanisms.
CBCPMs should be formed in all communities.
22. Voices from field
’I wish I was a boy. So that I would have lived a better life
without any restriction’ - Unanimously that was the response
of all girls present in a consultation’.
‘Our brothers should be sensitized to share our responsibilities
in household work. That would be more effective then
sensitizing our parents.’ Renu, (G) 14 yr, child club member
‘Selling and consuming alcohol should be stopped in our
village if we want a better life for our children.’ Kavita, (W) 38 yr,
SHG member
‘Acceptance and support of community has been gradually
increased towards Child protection committee and so the
perception of people towards children. We can expect a better
future for children of our community.’ ‘Chairperson, CBCPM (M),
58 yr
23. Conclusion
Growing awareness of child rights and child protection
Need for greater availability of CBCPM structures in all
villages
Continuing and more engaging outreach work
Facilitating positive social change
Better and more engaging partnerships with local police, and
communities to enhance confidence in identifying and
reporting harm, and working together to safeguard children.
Focus group discussion was conducted with Child Protection Committees of Thakurmunda block in Mayurbhanj district. The group comprises 30 members which includes 18 women and 12 men. These committees have been formed for last 4 years and have undergone series of trainings, orientations and provided handholding support by a NGO CYSD for functioning effectively. The discussion was structured but open ended. The participants were made comfortable to talk and share their understanding without any hesitation. This discussion was facilitated in an unbiased approach. Besides that FGD was also conducted with 7 adolescent girls, 14 Children club members (8 girls and 6 boys). Individual interaction conducted with 2 CBCPM chairpersons, 2 PRI members, 2 youths (1 M and 1 F – the former Child club mentors) and also 1 Social scientist.
Primarily girls are more unprotected in our community. They are not able to express their views and enjoy their rights. For example girls are not allowed to go to distant schools. Even if the girl wants to continue education, her movement is restricted to the school available nearby. Girls experince discrimination in family because of son preference. They are more prone to abuse than boys being their status of girl. Girls are not able to express their views out of fear and shyness. Also they are never given a space in family to have their opinion for anything related to them. Discrimination has been deep rooted in household practice. It is understood that girl will marry off and go to another family and boy will be the support to parents in old days. Sexual abuse is also a concern but supressed. Now a days use of mobile has been a tool of sexual abuse as well.
A panchayat is a cluster of 7-10 villages.
PRI – Panchyati Raj Institution (Local governance system) and the member is an elected member
Lowest level of Child Protection Committees have been formed at Panchayat level