BISP launches awareness campaign on child rights

BISP launches awareness campaign on child rights

Islamabad : Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) on Saturday launched a countrywide Child Protection Campaign in 40 districts to sensitise general public through training on issues of child protection, children’s rights and ways to ensure security of children.

BISP officials and parliamentarians would advance the campaign in their respective constituencies to protect our future generation, said chairperson BISP Marvi Memon while addressing the inaugural ceremony of the campaign held here at BISP headquarters.

She further stated that in the next step these trainings would be imparted to 60,000 BISP beneficiary committees across the country which would create mass level awareness on the subject, said a news release. She added that BISP would provide legal assistance to its beneficiaries in case of any child abuse incident. BISP had also set up a hotline 0800-26477 as part of this campaign for receiving complaints of abuse against children and direct them to relevant agencies for actions, she maintained.

She informed that Interior Minister, Ahsan Iqbal (Narowal), Ch. Muhammad Ashraf (Sahiwal), Tahira Aurangzeb (Rawalpindi), Nighat Parveen (Jhelum), Asyia Naz Tanoli (Wah Cantt.), Farhana, Qamar and Zahra Wadood Fatemi (Islamabad), Dr. Shezra Mansib Ali Khan (Nankana Sahib), Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon (Multan), Ch. Mahmood Bashir Virk (Gujranwala), Rasheed Ahmed Khan (Kasur), Naeema Kishwar Khan (Mardan), Begum Tahira Bukhari (Peshawar), Babar Nawaz (Haripur) and Sorath Thebo in Dadu had volunteered their services to carry forward this noble cause in their areas.

BISP Secretary Omar Hamid Khan, renowned artists Faisal Qureshi, Hassan Soomro and Sabahat Riaz also spoke on the event.

BISP beneficiary mothers, children, members of Parliament, academia, civil society, media, various INGOs and NGOs working on child protection including Sahil, UNICEF, UN Women, Oxfam International and others would also be the partners of the campaign.

During the event, BISP beneficiary women and children were sensitised through training on issues of child protection, children’s rights and ways to ensure security of children through video documentaries, IEC (Information, Education Communication) material and animated and illustrative messaging.

Different aspects of child protection, role of parents, teachers, leaders, government, responsible members of society, legal procedures regarding child protection were discussed.

The campaign also highlighted different methods to inform children on the issue.

Children were also trained to undertake the strategy of shout, run and inform the parents in the situation of any kind of abuse.

In his opening remarks, the secretary BISP stated that besides various initiatives for the welfare of beneficiaries, BISP had launched this campaign to sensitize parents and children on the issue child protection as children were future of any nation.

He explained in detail the precautions parents should take for the safety of their children.

Famous artist Faisal Qureshi said saving children from any abuse was the prime responsibility of parents. He suggested that besides seeking assistance from government and law enforcement agencies, mothers in every community can make committees and take up matters of child abuse with the elders of the community to overcome this problem.

Hassan Soomro said that awareness of children about the body parts was very necessary and in schools there must be a compulsory subject on this issue. He informed that in Sindh, this subject would be made compulsory from April 2018 and same should be done in the rest of country.

Sabahat Riaz said that laws relating to child protection are present in the country but there was a need to create awareness about these laws and procedures.

She explained the legal procedures which should be adopted by parents to get help in case of any child abuse. In her concluding remarks, the chairperson said that BISP on behalf of the federal government had initiated this campaign for the safety of our children.

Article source: https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/273981-bisp-launches-awareness-campaign-on-child-rights