ISLAMABAD: The Human Rights Ministry on Saturday engaged Child Protection Committees of Islamabad to raise awareness about the rights of children and steps aimed at preventing them from abuse.

The ministry under its Human Rights Awareness Programme, has so far held five sessions by engaging eight of the 15 Child Protection Committees that are efficiently working in several areas of the Islamabad Capital Territory like Sohan, Bari Imam, Saidpur, Tarnol, Golra, Shah Allah Ditta, 26 number Chungi, etc.

The participants in these sessions mostly comprise children, parents, teachers, civil society representatives and community leaders.

The committees were formed in 2019 by the Ministry of Human Rights’s National Child Protection Centre to identify, prevent and report issues of child abuse in the city in collaboration with the relevant authorities.

The ministry said that these sessions helped improve participants’ knowledge about the rights provided to children in the Constitution along with the recently passed legislations like Zainab Alert Act, and the amendment in Employment of Children Act – 1991 proscribing child domestic labour.

Participants were also informed about the toll free helpline to effectively respond to Human Rights violation cases and provide free legal aid to the callers.

The ministry claimed to have received positive feedback from the communities who were not previously informed about their rights and were delighted to be a part of these sessions.

Participants also recommended that such information should be a part of the curriculum and more of such awareness sessions should be held for parents and children separately.

The ministry said it had plans to further hold these sessions in other communities.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2020