I even dance in my dreams, I love dancing, it is my passion, but my parents and brother don't like my passion, they say I would not be able to dance after Class 10. But why," this is the question of Tammana, a girl presently in tenth grade in a Bhopal school. Varsha, another girl studying in eighth grade, questions why there is difference between a girl and a boy. She argues, "When my brother comes to house from outside, my mom asks me to give him water and food. But will it be the same when I come from outsideIJ Will my brother be asked to help me with food and waterIJ"
These are voices of girls who are part of school forums set up by Child Rights Observatory, an NGO advocating child rights in 20 urban schools of Bhopal with support from UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh. Some of these voices of girl children were reflected in a poster published by Child Rights Observatory titled, 'What do our girls sayIJ' Seema, another girl who wrote the poster, said we are two sisters but why do people ask my parents whether we have any brother. School forums are child rights groups in 20 schools of Bhopal and nearby places, which meet at intervals and discuss about child rights issues. But these are not 'very formal meetings'. They are play and learn kinds, explains Nirmala Buch, president, Child Rights Observatory.
"This is start of the process; gradually, we encourage them to have their own wall paper and also plan to expand this network at district level. Children contribute in meetings by their writings, drawings and many times speak out in various forums which we organise," Buch says.
Naveen, Khushi, Deepti and Anjana are also members of school forums and through poems, stories they have brought out the issue of child labour, impact of poverty on children, environment, etc. "It is encouraging to see that we are getting more space for children to air their views and opinions. This needs to be encouraged and more opportunities should be created for children to speak out on issues that impact their lives, which is their right," says Manish Mathur, Programme Manager, UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh.
Ankur, a child in Class 6 in a Bhopal public school shares his concern on the menace of polythene bags in the city and how they are lying around near dustbins and are not cleaned for days together. He expresses concern on cows eating polybags by writing an article in a children magazine run by a media house. likewise, Pooja from the same school, talks about growing water crisis in Bhopal and how Bhopal's the Upper lake is losing its water. Krishna, a girl child, questions why teachers and parents beat them instead of explaining to them the problems.