Universal Children’s Day: Activists to hold awareness programmes, gatherings today

Say focusing on child rights is crucial to ensure a bright future.


Umer Farooq November 19, 2013
"It is a difficult task, but we will never step down since our children are our future," Project officer of Child Rights Movement Mazhar Ali.

PESHAWAR: Different organisations striving for child rights will hold public gatherings and awareness programmes against child abuse, corporal punishment and domestic violence against children on the eve of Universal Children’s Day today (Wednesday).

Social activists said there is a need to create awareness on different issues including women’s rights and interfaith harmony, but added child rights was crucial to ensure a bright future.

“We have been focusing all our energies on holding awareness programmes, gatherings, protests so that people are aware of basic child rights. It is a difficult task, but we will never step down since our children are our future,” said Mazhar Ali, project officer of Child Rights Movement (CRM), an organisation leading around 150 other welfare organisations.



Ali said their target is to inform society about domestic violence against children, corporal punishment, child labour and child abuse, as once a child is suppressed in his/her initial age, he/she will not be able to compete in the modern world.

Educationists say the practice of corporal punishment in private educational institutions has almost ended, but is still present in government-run schools. They stressed the practice needs be dealt with accordingly since a number of students are hesitant to go to school, fearing punishment from the teacher.

“This is something which needs to be addressed on priority basis. Only the headmaster is entitled to punish a student, and even then, the headmaster is supposed to inform the student’s parents and also keep a record of why the student was punished,” said Qaisro Khan, a former educationist. “This is yet to become part of our society and teachers need to be trained for this purpose,” said Khan.

Regional Manager for Society for Protection of Rights of Child (SPARC) Jahanzeb Khan, said the ratio of child labour in Pakistan has increased compared to other countries in the region and 2.6 million children are out of school in the province.

“The government’s lack of seriousness on the issue of child labour can be gauged from the fact that no data is available since 1996,” he said, citing a survey conducted by the government in collaboration with the UN Children’s Fund in 1996 wherein 10.2 million child labourers were recorded in Pakistan.

He said Article 25-A of the Constitution says education is the fundamental right of every individual, adding the government needs to formulate laws and take measures to curtail child labour, and ensure free and compulsory education for children aged 5 to 16.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2013.

COMMENTS (2)

MarijaPP | 10 years ago | Reply

Happy Childrens Day :)! http://www.deluxebattery.com/happy-universal-childrens-day-5-powerful-quotes-about-children/

Pinky NJozela | 10 years ago | Reply

Hi There This is a good cause may everybody follow on this. Regards Pinky

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