Over 60 radio professionals from Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, New Delhi, Odisha, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh came together in a three-day regional workshop here focusing on public health and child sexual abuse, co-creating on-air programmes for prevention of violence against children.
The Association of Radio Operators in India (AROI), All India Radio and Unicef organised the workshop to build skills of radio participants on the nuances of handling sensitive issues related to child sexual abuse.
The exercise is part of Unicef India’s initiative for the annual Radio4child Awards in partnership with AROI and All India Radio, to recognise radio journalists who have contributed towards increasing awareness on issues related to immunisation and child sexual abuse.
Crime Branch SP RB Panigrahi said the Odisha police treat all cases of child sexual abuse as red flags and gave it the highest priority.
Unicef Child Protection Specialist laxmi Narayan Nanda stressed the need to create an environment of trust for the child abuse survivor within the family and community and suggested that local NGOs, district child protection units as well as the toll free CHIlDlINE helpline number 1098 could be approached for support in reporting against child sexual abuse. Former Judge of Orissa High Court Justice Durga Prasanna Choudhury said every child has the right to protection, participation, and taking decisions. Media is bound by the Constitution to protect the rights of children, he observed.
The participants were provided a holistic overview of the POCSO Act that deals with cases of child sexual abuse.