Though there are so many laws protecting girls but still they are not safe.
Seeking this child reporters posed some of their questions in-front of Jharkhand legislative Assembly Speaker SS Bhokta. Their questions were: Why do we have so many child marriages in our StateIJ Why does the dress code for school girls change to a kurta salwar in high schoolIJ Why are children being forced into labourIJ Why are girls being trafficked from JharkhandIJ Why aren’t there enough teachers in government schoolsIJ
Speaker of the Jharkhand legislative Assemble S S Bhokta said, “I understand the child reporters programme runs in six districts of Jharkhand – Ranchi, East Singhbhum, Giridih, latehar, West Singhbhum and Simdega and covers 210 government schools and over 6,000 children. Based on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC) it gives children the right to participation and expression. The child reporters’ programme should be expanded to all 40,000 schools in the State.” He also invited the children to attend the session of the legislative Assembly on December 2.
Chief UNICEF Jharkhand Job Zachariah, said that children have the right to express their views on matters affecting them as per article 13 of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. It is the duty of the Government and all stakeholders to consider the views of the children. But we often do not seek the views of children. For example, have we asked children when they should like to have holidays, and for how many days; what should be the school timings; what do they think about the text books or mid-day meal; how to improve them, etc.
Communication Officer, UNICEF Moira Dawa said, “All children have the same rights which have been listed in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UN CRC). Most nations in the world have agreed to these rights including India. All the rights are equally important and inter-connected. These rights are based on the best interest of the child.”