Seminars held to create awareness against child abuse

LAHORE: Plan International, in collaboration with Social Welfare Department, District Education Department Kasur, and Good Thinker, organised awareness and capacity building sessions on September 13 in Kasur for 191 teachers and principals from girls primary and elementary schools.  A similar session was held for 154 male teachers from boys primary and elementary schools in Kasur on September 15.

Earlier, secretary, joint secretary and director general of Ministry of Human Rights visited Lahore and Kasur to explore the reasons for the increase in child abuse incidents and to develop interventions for the protection of children.  As a follow-up of the visit, Plan International held these events to create awareness regarding self-protection for children, in order to make them useful and proactive members of the society.

The speakers on the occasions highlighted the impact of abuse on the children and the role teachers can play in sensitising and raising awareness on self-protection.

“Protection and monitoring are essential tools for positive growth of children. Teaching children on how to protect themselves in different situations helps empower them and make them responsible individuals”, said Samina Sardar, who is a child protection advisor at Plan International.

“All children have the right to protection. They have the right to survive, to be safe, to belong, to be heard, to receive adequate care and to grow up in a protective environment”, said Ms Rabiya Javeri, federal secretary at Ministry of Human Rights.