Child Rights Observatory had collated voices of adolescents on the challenges as adolescents see and they want to be part of the election manifesto, and which were shared with Political parties for addition in their manifesto or agenda for the coming by-election.
Madhya Pradesh is going for by-elections for 28 seats in November. This work of collating voices of adolescents was done as part of partnership with UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh. Adolescent want more focus on challenges faced by them and more budget for adolescents.
Adolescents have raised challenges of online education, it is not easy to understand and there are challenges of connectivity and have asked political parties to see that they need to work out alternative methods of imparting them education and this should be part of their manifesto. Letter sent and signed by President Child Rights Observatory, Nirmala Buch, organisation which advocates for child rights in Madhya Pradesh has been shared with all political parties.
Adolescents have asked political parties to include in their manifesto that when schools open all children have access to right facemasks, sanitisation and optimum measures will be followed for protection against Covid-19, and all schools need to have playing area, boundary walls, electricity, water supply, and separate toilets for girls and boys.
They have also asked to include in their manifesto the challenge of teachers shortage, and teachers will be with us teaching, and availability of all teaching and learning aids for all children. Adolescents have also asked that there be provision of support for challenge of psychological issues which are coming up due to Covid-19.
Adolescents spoke on challenge of growing child labour, violence against children, child marriage and provision of protective environment for them. Adolescents also spoke on challenges of immunization, reducing deaths of children and mother, challenges of malnutrition, and especially children who get weak, and severely malnourished. Last time at when State elections were held Child Rights Observatory, Vikas Samvad in partnership with UNICEF had shared issues affecting children particularly like child marriage and many such issues were included in the manifesto, and need is of implementation. Adolescents also spoke of having separate budgets for children and special focus on girls and women.
F A Jami, Education Specialist, UNICEF Madhya Pradesh when speaking to The Pioneer said that “Significant number of children are losing out on learning due to school closure during Covid-19 , preparations to address the learning loss in the first few months of school reopening, need to be worked out, as shared by adolescents. Special efforts to enroll out of school children to school and conduct bridge course, when schools re open, may be helpful.”
Last time when State elections were held Child Rights Observatory, Vikas Samvad in partnership with UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh had shared issues affecting children particularly like child marriage, School Education, new born health, under-nutrition and child protection, and these were included in the manifesto of all major parties of Madhya Pradesh.