December. 31:
Stakeholders expressed their serious concerns over a consistent increase in child marriage, violence, abuse, rape, acid attack, and discrimination against girls and adolescent girls.
The acting chairperson of the National Women Commission, Krishna Kumari Khatiwada highlighted the need for legal awareness against all forms of violence against girls, and prosecution of the perpetrators in the discussion program on “The Role of Stakeholders in the Protection of Girls’ Rights”. She was also the chief guest of the discussion program organized by Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (Jcycn) on the occasion of its 18th annual general meeting.
Members of the House of Representatives Kalpana Miya, Sobita Gautam, Bina Lama, and Member of Bagmati Province Assembly Urmila Sunuwar expressed their commitment to initiate, reform, and implement laws for the protection of the rights and interests of children and adolescents. They were also honored by the organization for their contribution to the girls’ rights movement. Furthermore, the organizers requested them to take a lead to institutionalize the “Children are National Pride” campaign.
Advocate Indu Tuladhar stressed that the education, health, and protection of girls have not received enough attention. Advocate Tuladhar stated that governments at all three tiers need to formulate gender-friendly policies, interventions, and budgets, and ensure effective implementation. She asserted that civil society networks have an important role to support government agencies in implementing them.
Vice-chairperson of the National Child Rights Council Bam Bahadur Baniya, Joint-secretary of the National Planning Commission Dr. Kiran Rupakhetee, Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission Murari Kharel, Deputy mayor of the Devchuli Municipality Parbata Tiwari, Under-secretary of the National Youth Council Chanda Thapa and Executive Director of CWIN Sumnima Tuladhar said that the government needs to increase investments in girls and adolescent-girls, pay more attention to their protection, be child-friendly and youth-friendly. They also, expressed their best wishes while appreciating the program and achievements of Jcycn. Besides, the speakers committed to advancing the gender-friendly campaign.
Krishna Kumari Khatiwada and Tilottam Paudel, chair of the discussion program, jointly honored Muskaan Khatun- a campaigner and acid attack survivor – for her contribution to the protection of girls and adolescents.
In the event, a social audit of the programmatic interventions of the Jagriti Child and Youth Concern Nepal (Jcycn) was simultaneously conducted. The main purpose of the social audit is to review plans, programs, and other initiatives of the Jcycn and seek suggestions, recommendations, and feedback from partner organizations, networks, and other stakeholders to revise the plans and programmatic interventions for effective results. In line with this purpose, Sumikshya Khadka gave a presentation on the diverse programmatic interventions of the Jcycn.
The major programmatic interventions include promoting child-friendly governance, youth-friendly local governance, and school nutrition program, combatting child labor, modern slavery, and violence against girls and women, rescuing survivors of abuse and providing free legal services to survivors, empowering girls, constructing school buildings, conducting livelihood activities, and building and operating the Girls and Adolescent Information and Resource and Learning Centre. Besides, the Jcycn has been carrying out evidence-based lobbies with all three tiers of government to institutionalize child rights in the policy framework. Currently, the Jcycn has been working in nine districts- Nawalpur, Makwanpur, Dhankuta, Rasuwa, Lalitpur, Kathmandu, Parbat, Rupandehi, and Chitwan. Jcycn has been receiving crucial support from multiple development partners to implement its programmatic interventions. KANALLAN has been supporting the School Nutrition Program, girls’ empowerment, and the construction of the Girls and Adolescent Information and Resource and Learning Centre. Meanwhile, JVI International has been funding programmatic interventions relating to child labor, modern slavery, rescue efforts, and providing free legal services to survivors of different forms of violence against women and girls. Likewise, World Vision International, Save the Children International Nepal and Good Neighbor International have been assisting in promoting Child Friendly Local Governance while Plan International Nepal has been instrumental in carrying out activities aiming at creating a girl-friendly society. In addition, UNICEF and UNDP have been supporting activities relating to youth-friendly local governance. Further, Jcycn has been working as a secretariat for National CFLG Forum and holds major positions in child-centric networks.
Attended by more than 100 people, the program witnessed the participation of Narayan Giri, a member of the Social Welfare Council, Binita Karki from UNDP, Arjun Bhattarai, General Secretary of Non-Governmental Organizations Federation, representatives of 15 civil organization networks, 10 representatives of development partner organizations, 35 representatives of civil organizations, representatives of youth and youth networks.
The 18th Annual General Meeting of the organization led by the former members of the child club established in the year 2004 has unanimously decided to institutionalize the “Children are National Pride” campaign.
The discussion program concluded by agreeing to be engaged in different roles deemed necessary for children’s education, health, protection, livelihood, rescue and rehabilitation of those at risk, and legal services.
