EVENTS- NOVEMBER 2005
CUTS CHD, in association with Save the Children, UK, organised a Bal Sammelan (Children’s Fair) on the theme, ‘Our Initiative against Violence on the Girl Child’ to mark the International Child Exploitation Opposition Day and International Child Rights Day at Banera village in Bhilwara district, Rajasthan, on November 19-20, 2005.
In the inaugural session, Kamla Mali, the Block Pradhan (head of block council) of the Banera Panchayat Samiti (village council) said, “Any kind of injustice, atrocity, maltreatment or discrimination against girls is a not only a sin, but also a social curse. If no effective steps are taken to counter injustice, atrocities and discrimination committed against the girls, then the country will have to pay a very heavy price for it, and the girls of this country will never forgive us”.
Srinivas Tripathi, Tahsildaar of Banera, expressing his views, said that it is the moral duty of the society and the government to protect and foster the child rights under all circumstances. While addressing the event, Development Officer of Banera, J P Shrimali said that various government projects and programmes are being conducted in order to protect the rights of the children and their development, but the benefits of these programmes and projects will reach them only when the society becomes aware and sensitive.
Dhanna Singh Rawat, the centre coordinator, in his speech, said that in order to eliminate all forms of discrimination against the girl child and at the same time promote gender equality and equal access to services, including basic education, a forceful social movement is necessary.
In the second session, children in small groups, debated on various subjects, such as violence against the girl child causes and solutions, restrictive elements in the development of child, views and perceptions of society, and special rights of girl child etc. In addition, children also presented various cultural programmes on child rights, gender discrimination, violence against girl child, expectations of children from the society, child marriage, a social curse and abortion of foetus as a social crime etc.
In the two-day programme, more than 135 children and social workers participated. CHD, in association with Save the Children, UK, organised another Bal Sammelan (Children’s Fair) under the ‘Rural Girl Empowerment Project’ on December 26-27, 2005 at Shanvliya Dham Bhadeshar. The children in small groups, debated on various subjects, such as violence against girl child: causes and solutions; restrictive elements in the development of child; views and perceptions of society; and special rights of girl child etc.
The main objective of the programme was to create awareness in the community regarding child rights and to provide the children with a platform to display their skills.