Multi stakeholders’ workshop was held today at Atal Bihari Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis in Bhopal to support development of State Communication Strategy for adolescents.
The workshop was conducted by AIGGPA and UNICEF. Bharti, Shanta, Surta, Kamlesh four adolescents from Jhabua who are part of adolescents group in Jhabua presented a song and spoke on the challenges of adolescents at ground. Speaking at the meet Principal Secretary Woman and Child Development JN Kansotia, spoke on the need to focus on adolescents, and about the various schemes like Udita corner, Kishori Shakti Yojana, being implemented by the Department for adolescent.
He said that for any strategy to be in place we need to look into societal aspects, and how we bring them into mainstream. Akhilesh Argal, Director Atal Bihari Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis spoke about the various aspects of the Institute and work it does for policy and expressed his happiness that we have multi stakeholders’ contribution to this process, and welcomed adolescents groups from Jhabua who were also part of the workshop.
Michael Juma, Chief, UNICEF, Madhya Pradesh said that adolescence is a phase separate from both early childhood and adulthood.
It is a transitional period that requires special attention, protection and he was greatly inspired by high of diversity of representation from AIGGPA and all State departments, CSOs, faith based leaders, media collectively working together to redefine critical underlying communication underpinnings for adolescents to inform development of communication strategy for adolescent, in accordance with MP state Vision 2030, he added. Certainly, proposed communication strategy should be able to fully articulate advocacy needs and platforms to address key deprivations impacting adolescents such as teenage pregnancy, child marriage, drop out of school, adolescent anemia, menstrual hygiene.