LAHORE:
Eleven Punjab Assembly members and several government officials on Tuesday agreed on an action plan to protect child rights and deal with child labour issues.
The action plan was formulated after discussion at a three-day workshop, organised by the Child Rights Movement Punjab (CRM).
Two men and nine women lawmakers, representatives of relevant government departments and key members of CRM Punjab attended the workshop.
The lawmakers decided that members of the group would meet the Punjab Assembly speaker to inform him about the formulation of an MPAs’ caucus on child rights and protection in the assembly. The 11 lawmakers who attended the workshop would be members of the caucus.
The caucus would make joint efforts for the approval of the Punjab Child Protection Policy by the provincial cabinet and raise its voice in the assembly and other forums for protecting children’s rights.
MPA Saba Sadiq would lead efforts for the establishment of the Punjab Commission on the Rights of the Child through an act of the provincial assembly.
The workshop also discussed the health-related issues faced by children.
The group agreed that the number of women health workers in Punjab should be increased and the issue would be raised in the Punjab Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal and Child Health Authority meetings and other relevant forums.
The number of community midwives in rural areas should also be increased to ensure every pregnant woman had access to a trained birth attendant.
The members agreed that at least 15,000 more community midwives were needed in rural areas. The lawmakers said that the Punjab Multi-Sector Nutrition Strategy should be approved immediately and budgetary allocation for nutrition should be increased.
The group also urged the government to implement the Punjab Protection of Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition (Amendment) Act 2012.
The action plan includes provisions to increase the number of vaccinators in the Punjab.
The group agreed that steps would have to be taken for the implementation of the Juvenile Justice System Ordinance 2000, including the establishment of exclusive juvenile courts, budgetary allocation for free legal aid to juveniles and appointment of probation officers.
The group said at least one woman probation officer should be appointed in each district of the province to ensure the release of women and children on probation.
The group also agreed to ensure that child domestic labour was notified under the schedule of banned occupations of the Punjab Employment of Children (Amendment) Act 2011.
The lawmakers would also monitor the enactment of the Punjab Prohibition of Child Labour Bill.
Members of the group would also ensure that the Punjab Child Marriages Restraint Bill 2014 was enacted.
“A comprehensive child protection law should be enacted and a child protection system should be in place to respond the violations of child rights in Punjab,” the group agreed.
The workshop participants agreed that the Punjab Right to Free and Compulsory Education Ordinance, 2014 should be passed as an act from the Punjab Assembly with budgetary allocations and the Punjab Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill should be enacted.
The group would ensure that the Punjab Assembly passed a resolution to ask the federal government to legislate on child rights/protection issues, including enactment of the pending National Commission on the Rights of Children Bill.
The lawmakers also agreed to make the Department of Human Rights and Minority Affairs the main department at Punjab level to ensure the implementation of laws related to child rights.
The group said poor children, children living and or working on the streets and destitute and neglected children’s families should be included in the social protection schemes.
Apart from the lawmakers, National Commission for Child Welfare and Development Director Muhammad Hassan Mangi, Plan Pakistan Deputy Country Director Imran Shami, Strengthening Participatory Organisation (SPO) Regional Head Salman Abid, Save the Children Advocacy and Child Rights Governance Director Arshad Mahmood, Punjab Social Welfare Department’s Irshad Waheed, CRM Punjab Coordinator Nazir Ghazi and Plan Pakistan Policy and Advocacy Coordinator Iftikhar Mubarik participated in the workshop.
During the workshop, the participants also agreed to hold another meeting in October in Lahore to review the progress on the action plan.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 9th, 2014.
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Great job Punjab lawmakers! This is a much needed initiative. Let's also try and outlaw child labour!
Not very dear Law makers, Daily Meal, Clean Water and quality education are also rights of Pakistani children if Peace, Free education and unpolluted air is not. We are requesting you guys to perform your duties, mark your attendance and do something really matters for children of Pakistan.Absent of Children rights is a cancer spread by inflation and injustice prevailed by political tussle and if above law will be implemented as I am afraid this is only a opportunity created for some cabinet hangouts then you guys should be under trial. CHILDREN OF PAKISTAN ARE MISSING THEIR RIGHTS BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT USED TO GIVE RIGHTS AWAY