CHILD PROTECTION MEGA MONTH

Three decades after signing the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) in 1991, child protection is a national crisis in Sri Lanka. During the past year five children were physically and sexually abused to death in a country officially at peace, yet nothing progressive has been achieved to protect 5.2 million children.
Stop Child Cruelty Trust (SCC) will launch the ‘#JustANumber Child Protection Month’ on  September 30, 2021 in celebration of International Children’s Day on October 1, 2021. Customarily, one day every year is dedicated to highlight children, often celebrated with an art competition or a trivial project to endorse children’s rights while Sri Lanka has fallen to the abysmal 10% of countries considered as least safe in the world on violence against children; a child is believed to be sexually abused every two hours in our paradise island. 

Sri Lanka is the only South Asian country committed to Sustainable Developmental Goal (SGD) 16.2 to End Violence Against Children.  SCC will commence a seven-week-long ambitious advocacy campaign focused on energising The Parliament to implement the recent historic decision of Supreme Court endorsing changes to the Penal Code on Cruelty to Children and formation of Sri Lanka’s first Child Protection Alliance of twenty Civil Society Organisation/Non-Governmental Organisations passionately working towards the welfare of children. But the highlight of the campaign is the direct involvement of children in Art and Speech competition ‘If I was the advisor to The President, how will I resolve the child protection crisis?’ The public will have an opportunity to vote for their favourite speaker, making it a wholesome communal exercise.

The Chief Guest at the event will be Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, Former President of Sri Lanka who pioneered child protection, and the keynote speaker will be Prof Savithri Goonesekere, Emeritus Professor of Law, imminent child rights advocate. 

Dr Tush Wickramanayaka, Chairperson of SCC stated that “child protection is a collective social responsibility. With the escalation of the unprecedented rise of child abuse in our paradise island the relevant authorities appear to be crippled to protect and promote the rights of our children. I strongly believe that the Child Protection Alliance will be a formidable voice to energise the process. The involvement of children directly in the decisions relating to their welfare via a fun and educational format through the speech competition will empower the public to recognise the child as a rights holder.” 

The Launch Event will be held on September 30, 2021 at 10 am on Facebook via Zoom. The event is open to the public. Log online to Daily Mirror Online (Facebook). For further information www.stopchildcruelty.com or email [email protected]