Sangrur, 13 November- The District Youth Development Organisation will launch a 100-day awareness campaign on 27 November to make Sangrur district free of child marriage. In preparation for the campaign, the organisation met with the District Child Protection Unit, Sangrur, today. The two teams drew up an action plan to hold village-level awareness programmes, involve local communities and ensure that suspected cases of child marriage are reported promptly to the relevant authorities.
The meeting was attended by Paramjit Singh Badola, President of the District Youth Development Organisation, and Dr Amit Chopra, its Chief Executive Officer, along with Navneet Kaur Toor, Simta and other members of the District Child Protection Unit.
Special awareness programmes will be held in villages and other areas across the district on 27 November to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Child, Early and Forced Marriage. The programmes will explain how early marriage can affect children’s education, health and future prospects. They will also cover the harmful effects of child labour and child trafficking, children’s rights and the legal provisions in place to protect them.
Sarpanches, panchayat representatives, Anganwadi and ASHA workers, teachers, young people and community organisations will take an active part in the campaign. Village-level activities will help families understand how to recognise and report a suspected case of child marriage and how to access government services for child protection.
Paramjit Singh Badola said preventing child marriage requires the participation of the district administration, government departments, panchayats, community organisations and residents. He said sustained awareness efforts at the village level and timely reporting could help prevent child marriages. He urged anyone who learns that a child marriage is being planned to alert the relevant authorities immediately.
Dr Amit Chopra said the campaign aims to reach as many villages and families as possible and encourage them to take an active role in preventing child marriage. He said sarpanches, Anganwadi and ASHA workers, teachers and young people could help raise awareness among families and connect them with the relevant departments when needed.
Navneet Kaur Toor of the District Child Protection Unit, Sangrur, commended the organisation’s work to promote children’s rights and protect children. She said the unit would provide all possible support for the programmes on 27 November and throughout the 100-day campaign. She added that the unit would coordinate with the relevant departments and local partners to bring awareness activities to as many villages as possible.
The District Youth Development Organisation urged government departments, panchayats, community organisations and residents to join the campaign and work together towards a child marriage-free Sangrur.
