Rights of the Child

Rights of the Child

 

All legislations for protection of child rights have to take categorical and unambiguous position on children’s rights, ensuring State commitment and obligation to provide all structures, institutions and processes for delivering services to children 

 

There is unanimity on the importance of protecting children and their right to freedom and dignity. It was enshrined in the Constitution of India. Yet there have been gross violations of children’s rights since independence and serious gaps in the delivery of services for children. There is a need therefore to understand the core principles for delivering services to children and an adherence to a rights based perspective. Recent enactments, such as the right to education act and protection of children from sexual offences have been child centric clearly emphasizing the rights of children. Some policies like the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) and Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) have also shown that decentralisation and involvement of the community and civil society as equal partners with the government are important components for effective realisation of children’s rights. 

Provisions for Children in Constitution of India 

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Child Protection in India

Child Protection in India

 

Protecting children from all forms of violence, abuse, and exploitation in different settings, including family, community and wider society is essential to ensure that they are given all the rights due to them

 

Protecting children from all forms of violence, abuse, and exploitation is integral to the holistic development of children, as it enables them to become active participants in their own development and the development of the Nation.  

A child who sells flowers or magazines at a traffic light every day is not just another salesperson, but someone who is deprived of a normal and secured family life, and denied his or her basic rights of nutrition, health, education, and development.  

Unfortunately, it is common to see children in vulnerable and difficult situations. At an age where they should be in school and learning, children are married off; engaged in work– in farms, households, restaurants, and in industries; trafficked for labour and sexual exploitation; and exposed to abuse and violence.  

According to the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD), around 170 million or 40 percent of all children in India are either vulnerable to or experiencing difficult circumstances, such as violence at home, separation from family and street life (Integrated Child Protection Scheme– ICPS). If we look at sexual abuse, a study conducted by MWCD in 2007 shows that more than 53 percent all respondents reported to have faced one or more forms of sexual abuse.   

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