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An awareness campaign sensitizing privileged citizens toact for the benefit of children employed as domestic

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Ms. Puja TrisalGeneral Manager Programmes | Smile Foundation

Whose children we are talking about? Are they not ourchildren? If yes, can we leave them to fend forthemselves- defenseless, with out care, devoid of anyright and privileges? Are not WE, the society (men andwomen) responsible for introducing them to world?Then, why such apathy? Is it not a crime?

Does it not stir our conscience and provoke tos a fegu a rd our children's well be i n g - accordingappropriate status?

Child rights and its accordance is the pillar for nationalconstruction, a brighter tomorrow.

You may write to her at:info@smilefoundationindia.org

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Child Rights

C h i l d R i g h t s : A G i s t

T h e C o n v e n t i o n o n t h e R i g h t s o f t h e C h i l d d e f i n e s b a s i c r i g h t s o f c h i l d r e n c o v e r i n g m u l t i p l en e e d s a n d i s s u e s . I n d i a e n d o r s e d i t o n D e c e m b e r 1 1 , 1 9 9 2 .

F o l l o w i n g a r e a f e w r i g h t s i n t h e i m m e d i a t e p u r v i e w o f S m i l e F o u n d a t i o n a s w e l l a s I n d i a .

DON'T EMPLOY THEM : EMPOWER !

T h e r i g h t t o E d u c a t i o n : 5 0 % o f I n d i a n c h i l d r e n a g e d 6 - 1 8 d o n o t g o t o s c h o o lD r o p o u t r a t e s i n c r e a s e a l a r m i n g l y i n c l a s s I I I t o V , i t s 5 0 % f o r b o y s , 5 8 % f o r g i r l s .

T h e r i g h t t o E x p r e s s i o n: E v e r y c h i l d h a s a r i g h t t o e x p r e s s h i m s e l f f r e e l y i n w h i c h e v e r w a yh e l i k e s . M a j o r i t y o f c h i l d r e n h o w e v e r a r e e x p l o i t e d b y t h e i r e l d e r s a n d n o t a l l o w e d t oe x p r e s s .

T h e r i g h t t o I n f o r m a t i o n: E v e r y c h i l d h a s a r i g h t t o k n o w h i s b a s i c r i g h t s a n d h i s p o s i t i o n i nt h e s o c i e t y . H i g h i n c i d e n c e o f i l l i t e r a c y a n d i g n o r a n c e a m o n g t h e d e p r i v e d a n du n d e r p r i v i l e g e d c h i l d r e n p r e v e n t s t h e m f r o m h a v i n g a c c e s s t o i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t t h e m a n dt h e i r s o c i e t y .

T h e r i g h t t o N u t r i t i o n: M o r e t h a n 5 0 % o f I n d i a ' s c h i l d r e n a r e m a l n o u r i s h e d . W h i l e o n e i ne v e r y f i v e a d o l e s c e n t b o y s i s m a l n o u r i s h e d , o n e i n e v e r y t w o g i r l s i n I n d i a i su n d e r n o u r i s h e d .

T h e r i g h t t o H e a l t h & C a r e: 5 8 % o f I n d i a ' s c h i l d r e n b e l o w t h e a g e o f 2 y e a r s a r e n o t f u l l yv a c c i n a t e d . A n d 2 4 % o f t h e s e c h i l d r e n d o n o t r e c e i v e a n y f o r m o f v a c c i n a t i o n . O v e r 6 0 % o fc h i l d r e n i n I n d i a a r e a n e m i c . 9 5 i n e v e r y 1 0 0 0 c h i l d r e n b o r n i n I n d i a , d o n o t s e e t h e i r f i f t hb i r t h d a y . 7 0 i n e v e r y 1 0 0 0 c h i l d r e n b o r n i n I n d i a , d o n o t s e e t h e i r f i r s t b i r t h d a y .

T h e r i g h t t o p r o t e c t i o n f r o m A b u s e: T h e r e a r e a p p r o x i m a t e l y 2 m i l l i o n c h i l d c o m m e r c i a l s e xw o r k e r s b e t w e e n t h e a g e o f 5 a n d 1 5 y e a r s a n d a b o u t 3 . 3 m i l l i o n b e t w e e n 1 5 a n d 1 8 y e a r s .T h e y f o r m 4 0 % o f t h e t o t a l p o p u l a t i o n o f c o m m e r c i a l s e x w o r k e r s i n I n d i a . 5 0 0 , 0 0 0 c h i l d r e na r e f o r c e d i n t o t h i s t r a d e e v e r y y e a r .

T h e r i g h t t o p r o t e c t i o n f r o m E x p l o i t a t i o n: 1 7 m i l l i o n c h i l d r e n i n I n d i a w o r k a s p e r o f f i c i a le s t i m a t e s . A s t u d y f o u n d t h a t c h i l d r e n w e r e s e n t t o w o r k b y c o m p u l s i o n a n d n o t b y c h o i c e,m o s t l y b y p a r e n t s , b u t w i t h r e c r u i t e r p l a y i n g a c r u c i a l r o l e i n i n f l u e n c i n g d e c i s i o n . W h e nw o r k i n g o u t s i d e t h e f a m i l y , c h i l d r e n p u t i n a n a v e r a g e o f 2 1 h o u r s o f l a b o u r p e r w e e k . P o o ra n d b o n d e d f a m i l i e s o f t e n " s e l l " t h e i r c h i l d r e n t o c o n t r a c t o r s w h o p r o m i s e l u c r a t i v e j o b s i nt h e c i t i e s a n d t h e c h i l d r e n e n d u p b e i n g e m p l o y e d i n b r o t h e l s , h o t e l s a n d d o m e s t i c w o r k .M a n y r u n a w a y a n d f i n d a l i f e o n t h e s t r e e t s .

T h e r i g h t t o p r o t e c t i o n f r o m N e g l e c t : E v e r y c h i l d h a s a r i g h t t o l e a d a w e l l p r o t e c t e d a n ds e c u r e l i f e a w a y f r o m n e g l e c t . H o w e v e r , c h i l d r e n w o r k i n g u n d e r e x p l o i t a t i v e a n d i n h u m a nc o n d i t i o n s g e t n e g l e c t e d b a d l y .

T h e r i g h t t o D e v e l o p m e n t: E v e r y c h i l d h a s t h e r i g h t t o d e v e l o p m e n t t h a t l e t s t h e c h i l de x p l o r e h e r / h i s f u l l p o t e n t i a l . U n f a v o u r a b l e l i v i n g c o n d i t i o n s o f u n d e r p r i v i l e g e d c h i l d r e np r e v e n t s t h e m f r o m g r o w i n g i n a f r e e a n d u n i n h i b i t e d w a y .

T h e r i g h t t o R e c r e a t i o n : E v e r y c h i l d h a s a r i g h t t o s p e n d s o m e t i m e o n r e c r e a t i o n a l p u r s u i t sl i k e s p o r t s , e n t e r t a i n m e n t a n d h o b b i e s t o e x p l o r e a n d d e v e l o p . M a j o r i t y o f p o o r c h i l d r e n i nI n d i a d o n o t g e t t i m e t o s p e n d o n r e c r e a t i o n a l a c t i v i t i e s .

T h e r i g h t t o N a m e & N a t i o n a l i t y : E v e r y c h i l d h a s a r i g h t t o i d e n t i f y h i m s e l f w i t h a n a t i o n . Av a s t m a j o r i t y o f u n d e r p r i v i l e g e d c h i l d r e n i n I n d i a a r e t r e a t e d l i k e c o m m o d i t i e s a n d e x p o r t e dt o o t h e r c o u n t r i e s a s l a b o u r o r p r o s t i t u t e s .

T h e r i g h t t o S u r v i v a l: O f t h e 1 2 m i l l i o n g i r l s b o r n i n I n d i a , 3 m i l l i o n d o n o t s e e t h e i r f i f t e e n t hb i r t h d a y , a n d a m i l l i o n o f t h e m a r e u n a b l e t o s u r v i v e e v e n t h e i r f i r s t b i r t h d a y . E v e r y s i x t h g i r lc h i l d ' s d e a t h i s d u e t o g e n d e r d i s c r i m i n a t i o n .

C h i l d R i g h t s i n I n d i a : A n I n t r o d u c t i o n

I n d i a i s a p a r t y t o t h e U N d e c l a r a t i o n o n t h e R i g h t s o f t h e C h i l d 1 9 5 9 . A c c o r d i n g l y , i t a d o p t e da N a t i o n a l P o l i c y o n C h i l d r e n i n 1 9 7 4 . T h e p o l i c y r e a f f i r m e d t h e c o n s t i t u t i o n a l p r o v i s i o n s f o ra d e q u a t e s e r v i c e s t o c h i l d r e n , b o t h b e f o r e a n d a f t e r b i r t h a n d t h r o u g h t h e p e r i o d o f g r o w t ht o e n s u r e t h e i r f u l l p h y s i c a l , m e n t a l a n d s o c i a l d e v e l o p m e n t .

A c c o r d i n g l y , t h e g o v e r n m e n t i s t a k i n g a c t i o n t o r e v i e w t h e n a t i o n a l a n d s t a t e l e g i s l a t i o n a n db r i n g i t i n l i n e w i t h t h e p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e C o n v e n t i o n . I t h a s a l s o d e v e l o p e d a p p r o p r i a t em o n i t o r i n g p r o c e d u r e s t o a s s e s s p r o g r e s s i n i m p l e m e n t i n g t h e C o n v e n t i o n - i n v o l v i n gv a r i o u s s t a k e h o l d e r s i n t h e s o c i e t y .

I n d i a i s a l s o a s i g n a t o r y t o t h e W o r l d D e c l a r a t i o n o n t h e S u r v i v a l , P r o t e c t i o n a n d D e v e l o p m e n t o f C h i l d r e n . I n p u r s u a n c e o f t h e c o m m i t m e n t m a d e a t

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t h e W o r l d S u m m i t , t h e D e p a r t m e n t o f W o m e n a n d C h i l d D e v e l o p m e n t u n d e r t h e M i n i s t r y o f H u m a n R e s o u r c e D e v e l o p m e n t h a s f o r m u l a t e d a N a t i o n a lP l a n o f A c t i o n f o r C h i l d r e n . M o s t o f t h e r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s o f t h e W o r l d S u m m i t A c t i o n P l a n a r e r e f l e c t e d i n I n d i a ' s N a t i o n a l P l a n o f A c t i o n - k e e p i n g i nm i n d t h e n e e d s , r i g h t s a n d a s p i r a t i o n s o f 3 0 0 m i l l i o n c h i l d r e n i n t h e c o u n t r y . T h e p r i o r i t y a r e a s i n t h e P l a n a r e h e a l t h , n u t r i t i o n , e d u c a t i o n , w a t e r , s a n i t a t i o n a n d e n v i r o n m e n t . T h e P l a n g i v e s s p e c i a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n t o c h i l d r e n i nd i f f i c u l t c i r c u m s t a n c e s a n d a i m s a t p r o v i d i n g a f r a m e w o r k , f o r a c t u a l i z a t i o n o f t h e o b j e c t i v e s o f t h e C o n v e n t i o n i n t h e I n d i a n c o n t e x t .

S t a t u s o f C h i l d r e n i n I n d i a

R e c e n t U N I C E F ( 2 0 0 5 ) r e p o r t o n t h e s t a t e o f t h e w o r l d s c h i l d r e n u n d e r t h e t i t l e C h i l d h o o d U n d e r T h r e a t , s p e a k i n g a b o u t I n d i a , s t a t e s t h a t m i l l i o n so f I n d i a n c h i l d r e n a r e e q u a l l y d e p r i v e d o f t h e i r r i g h t s t o s u r v i v a l , h e a l t h , n u t r i t i o n , e d u c a t i o n a n d s a f e d r i n k i n g w a t e r . I t i s r e p o r t e d t h a t 6 3 p e r c e n t o ft h e m g o t o b e d h u n g r y a n d 5 3 p e r c e n t s u f f e r f r o m c h r o n i c m a l n u t r i t i o n .

T h e r e p o r t s a y s t h a t 1 4 7 m i l l i o n c h i l d r e n l i v e i n k u c h c h a h o u s e s , 7 7 m i l l i o n d o n o t u s e d r i n k i n g w a t e r f r o m a t a p , 8 5 m i l l i o n a r e n o t b e i n gi m m u n i z e d , 2 7 m i l l i o n a r e s e v e r e l y u n d e r w e i g h t a n d 3 3 m i l l i o n h a v e n e v e r b e e n t o s c h o o l . I t e s t i m a t e s t h a t 7 2 m i l l i o n c h i l d r e n i n I n d i a b e t w e e n f i v ea n d 1 4 y e a r s d o n o t h a v e a c c e s s t o b a s i c e d u c a t i o n . A g i r l c h i l d i s t h e w o r s t v i c t i m a s s h e i s o f t e n n e g l e c t e d a n d i s d i s c r i m i n a t e d a g a i n s t b e c a u s eo f t h e p r e f e r e n c e f o r a b o y c h i l d .

N a t i o n a l C o m m i s s i o n f o r P r o t e c t i o n o f C h i l d R i g h t s

I n o r d e r t o e n s u r e c h i l d r i g h t s p r a c t i c e s a n d i n r e s p o n s e t o I n d i a s c o m m i t m e n t t o U N d e c l a r a t i o n t o t h i s e f f e c t , t h e g o v e r n m e n t o f I n d i a s e t u p aN a t i o n a l C o m m i s s i o n f o r P r o t e c t i o n o f C h i l d R i g h t s.

T h e C o m m i s s i o n i s a s t a t u t o r y b o d y n o t i f i e d u n d e r a n A c t o f t h e P a r l i a m e n t o n D e c e m b e r 2 9 , 2 0 0 6 . B e s i d e s t h e c h a i r p e r s o n , i t w i l l h a v e s i xm e m b e r s f r o m t h e f i e l d s o f c h i l d h e a l t h , e d u c a t i o n , c h i l d c a r e a n d d e v e l o p m e n t , j u v e n i l e j u s t i c e , c h i l d r e n w i t h d i s a b i l i t i e s , e l i m i n a t i o n o f c h i l d l a b o u r ,c h i l d p s y c h o l o g y o r s o c i o l o g y a n d l a w s r e l a t i n g t o c h i l d r e n . T h e C o m m i s s i o n h a s t h e p o w e r t o i n q u i r e i n t o c o m p l a i n t s a n d t a k e s u o m o t u n o t i c e o f m a t t e r s r e l a t i n g t o d e p r i v a t i o n o f c h i l d ' s r i g h t s a n d n o n -i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f l a w s p r o v i d i n g f o r p r o t e c t i o n a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f c h i l d r e n a m o n g o t h e r t h i n g s .A i m e d a t e x a m i n i n g a n d r e v i e w i n g t h e s a f e g u a r d s p r o v i d e d b y t h e l a w t o p r o t e c t c h i l d r i g h t s , t h e C o m m i s s i o n w i l l r e c o m m e n d m e a s u r e s f o r t h e i re f f e c t i v e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n . I t w i l l s u g g e s t a m e n d m e n t s , i f n e e d e d , a n d l o o k i n t o c o m p l a i n t s o r t a k e s u o m o t u n o t i c e o f c a s e s o f v i o l a t i o n o f t h ec o n s t i t u t i o n a l a n d l e g a l r i g h t s o f c h i l d r e n .

T h e C o m m i s s i o n i s t o e n s u r e p r o p e r e n f o r c e m e n t o f c h i l d r i g h t s a n d e f f e c t i v e i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f l a w s a n d p r o g r a m m e s r e l a t i n g t o c h i l d r e n -e n q u i r i n g i n t o c o m p l a i n t s a n d t a k e s u o m o t u c o g n i z a n c e o f m a t t e r s r e l a t i n g t o d e p r i v a t i o n o f c h i l d r i g h t s ; n o n - i m p l e m e n t a t i o n o f l a w s p r o v i d i n g f o rp r o t e c t i o n a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f c h i l d r e n a n d n o n - c o m p l i a n c e o f p o l i c y d e c i s i o n s , g u i d e l i n e s o r i n s t r u c t i o n s a i m e d a t t h e i r w e l f a r e a n d a n n o u n c i n gr e l i e f f o r c h i l d r e n a n d i s s u i n g r e m e d i a l m e a s u r e s t o t h e s t a t e g o v e r n m e n t s .

Child Rights Articles & Preamble

Convention on the Rights of the ChildAdopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution

44/25 of 20 November 1989entry into force 2 September 1990, in accordance w ith article 49

PART I

Article 1

For the purposes of the present Convention, a child means everyhuman being below the age of eighteen years unless under the lawapplicable to the child, majority is attained earlier.

Article 2

1. States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in thepresent Convention to each child within their jurisdiction withoutdiscrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or herparent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion,political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property,disability, birth or other status. 2. States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure thatthe child is protected against all forms of discrimination or punishmenton the basis of the status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs ofthe child's parents, legal guardians, or family members.

Article 3

[Credited to Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights]

V-11, Level - 1, Green Park Extension, New Delhi - 110 016, Phone: +91-11-43123700| Fax: +91-11-41354454, E-mail: info@smilefoundationindia.org

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