Join Hands in Protecting the Rights of Children in India

1. Join Hands in Protecting the Rights of Children in India India has 472 million children below the age of 18 years, which makes up 39% of India's total population. Amongst these, a significant portion of children (around 73%) belong to the rural areas, and 29% are between the ages of 0 to 6. Children living in rural areas often have limited access to nutrition, education, healthcare, and protection. The NPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) or "bal sanrakshan adhiniyam” is the government's endeavor to promote children's rights in our country. The Act came about in 2005, and though there have been positive impacts of this Act, the complexities involved in restoring a child's well-being make it imperative that the government gets helping hands in the form of NGOs. Why is it Necessary to Protect Child’s Rights in India? Children are subject to violence and exploitation in different settings, be it school, home, community, or child care institutions. In India, both boys and girls are subject to travesties like child marriage, child labor, sexual violence, child trafficking, online violence, and domestic abuse. ● Children are a potential embodiment of our ambitions, ideals, and aspirations. Giving them a nurturing childhood ensures a strong and thriving nation. ● Safe childhood is a fundamental human right that starts right from the fetus stage. A fetus in a mother's womb is guaranteed some basic rights which are intrinsic to everyone.

2. ● Millions of children around the world are exploited and adversely affected in various ways such as armed conflicts, coping with disabilities, children on the streets, ethnic-minority or religious issues, and many more. What are the Child Protection Laws in India? Children's rights' main aim is to ensure all children get the opportunity to reach their full potential. All children are given a chance to develop fully, get an education and proper nutrition, have a conducive environment for their growth, know what their rights are, and are given a chance to participate actively in their communities and societies. Some of the child protection laws in India are: ● Right of Children to Free and Compulsory education for all children between 6 and 14 years. ● Child protection from sexual offense. ● Prohibition and regulation of child labor. ● Prevention of Immoral trafficking of children. Ngo's Role in Giving Children Their Due Though in India, there has been an aggressive attempt to implement child rights and provide a protective environment for the children of India, it still needs huge support from civil society and its citizens to help children. India's NGOs get the credit for many improvements that are seen in children's welfare. With their activism and on-ground support, India's NGOs relentlessly work with officials to make India a safe place for children. The child development NGOs have been giving the underprivileged children their due in the following manner: ● Removing child labor - More than ten million children are forced to work as child labor for 14 to 16 hours a day. They work in terrible working conditions in various sectors like farming, embroidery, stone cutting sector, and mining industries. As per the US Department of Labor report, India comes among 74 countries that have significant instances of hazardous working conditions. To eradicate child labor, the NGOs have provided intervention on demand as well as supply-side: ○ Demand - NGOs run awareness programs to educate trade owners about the evils of child labor and encourage them to reach out to business owners to educate them about the same. If necessary, a few NGOs also perform raids at regular intervals of workplaces like factories and farms (where child labor is present in huge numbers) to free the children from bonded labor. ○ Supply - NGOs also form relationships with locals in cities and villages to report incidences of child labor in businesses. NGOs advise families to push their children towards education by supporting them with NGO scholarships and other such programs. They also provide access to essential services and education so that families are not in desperate need to sell their children into slavery. ● Education and Enrolment - In India, there is low enrollment and high drop-outs in the education system. NGOs emphasize the need for the education of children in various

3. communities. They work towards establishing safe schools where there is no discrimination based on caste, gender, or socioeconomic background. Their aim is to bring back those children who dropped out of school and also enroll street children and child laborers in schools. Relief and Rehabilitation - NGOs carry out campaigns and awareness programs on essential health and nutrition of children to reduce newborn and child deaths. They educate communities on the importance of regular natal health checkups, breastfeeding, hospital deliveries, and nutrition. In case of any disaster, NGOs generate humongous fundraising so that communities can get non-stop aid. ● Bring Childhood Back to Children Satyarthi organization has been working for the last 14 years to provide holistic child protection. By creating a child-friendly village, the organization strives to eradicate many offenses against children like child labor, child marriage, child trafficking, and more. To date, they have withdrawn 12,481 children from child labor and stopped 334 child marriages. Donating to Satyarthi will bring many children back to enjoying a nurturing environment that is conducive to their growth. Source: https://nehanaayar.blogspot.com/2022/04/join-hands-in-protecting-rights-of.html