Bachpan Bachao Andolan > Access to Justice

Access to Justice

Our most recent programme, Access to Justice started in 2017 to ensure that institutions concerned with Child Protection and Welfare, prominently the Government and its agencies, are capable, accountable and convergent to protect victims of child abuse and exploitation. It works to establish smooth coordination between different stakeholders in child protection and governance structures of the Central and State Governments.

Child Protection

Child protection is at the core of all that Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) does. This programme aims at creating an enabling environment within the State governance structure and Society at large so that implementation of laws on Child Protection and Welfare is strenghtened. Development of a  strong policy framework for securing child rights , supported by the necessary institutional framework where all stakeholders are aware, sensitive and empowered to work for welfare of children is aimed at through cooperation and coordination with State Govt, departments and agencies. The focus remains on   child protection laws, time-bound rehabilitation of survivors, prosecution of perpetrators and mainstreaming of children through collaborative action with Government and other Civil Society Organizations.

Why Access to Justice: The programme aims to pursue implementation of child-related policies and laws which, though in place, are not rigorously followed. While the need for implementation of laws cannot be overstated, there is a greater need for their monitoring by the respective government agencies and all stakeholders.

Data for past five years - 2014-2019

0
Total children
rescued
0
Total children rescued
(age under 18)
0
FIRs
registered
0
Release
Certificates issued
₹ 0
Back wages recovered
(for 1,231 children)
0
Followed up through
children's home visits
0
Total factories sealed
(Delhi only)

Data for past TWO years - 2017-2019

0
Legal
camps held
0
Individual
case interventions
0
Child-friendly police stations established in 13 states
0
CCI inspection
visits
0
Partnership
with NGOs
0
Law enforcement officials trained
on childcare and protection
0
Meetings with state and non-state actors (ex departments of Women and Child Welfare, Labour, Education, Police, NGOs etc)

Institutional Building

There are multiple child protection institutions in India. Yet, there are gaps in their coordination and fixing accountability, which can be bridged by training. Our training programmes for all these agencies and stakeholders are aimed to arm them with knowledge of laws, thereby strengthening their implementation. These trainings focus on sharing knowledge, handholding, suggestions, best practices in different states and networking. They also include knowledge-sharing on practical aspects of dealing with and implementing laws, policies and judgments. Participants of our training programmes include police, lawyers, child welfare committees, juvenile justice board members, NGOs, and activists.

Knowledge and Capacity-Building of Stakeholders: Enhance their abilities, skills, knowledge of child protection laws, sensitising participants on child rights, their relevance and significance, explaining the specific roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders in dealing with child-related issues, enabling and understanding child-friendly approaches and sharing deep insights into the institutional and non-institutional options available for the rehabilitation of children.

So far, 80 workshops have been conducted for various stakeholders under the Access to Justice programme in 2018, covering 20 states. The key topics covered during these workshops include:

    • The Juvenile Justice (care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015
    • The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012
    • The Child and Adolescent Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
    • Central Sector Scheme for Rehabilitation of Bonded Labour, 2016
0
Police
Personnel
0
members of
CWC and JJB
0
members of
SCPS and DCPU
0
members of
District Task Force
0
Media
persons
0
judges
0
members of civil
society organisations
0
members of Child
Care Institutions
0
students, teachers
and support staff

Strengthening Policy Frameworks, Implementation, Enforcement Mechanisms and Accountability

  • Engaging and liaisoning with stakeholders in the area of childcare and protection: Regular and sustained engagement and collaboration with government agencies such as SCPCRs, SLSAs, labour and women and child development departments and the police have led to streamlined and result-oriented action on the ground
  • Assisting the central and state governments to develop and deliver child protection policies: Planning and drafting child protection action plans, JJ Rules, POCSO Rules, CLPRA Rules and child protection policies

Resources and Technology

  • Networking and partnering with NGOs working on child protection for effective outreach at the community level and result-oriented action
  • Establishing convergent network of institutions for efficient and coordinated delivery of justice
  • Encouraging best practices in the use of technology that safeguards rights of children and identifies all forms of abuses against them

Highlights for July 20202

Madhya Pradesh:-
BBA has collaborated with Department of Police for the creation of Model Child Friendly Police stations in the State. A total of 12 Police stations has been established across the districts. Four Police stations has been inaugurated till date with the recent being Kotwali Child Friendly Police Station in Vidisha on 2nd July 2020, which was long due because of the lockdown. All Four Police stations has been handed over to the department. During the inauguration ceremony, SP Vidisha said that such Child Friendly Corners should be created in all the Police stations of Madhya Pradesh. All the IEC material and literature on child protection was appreciated by the officials.
Kerala:-
17 Special Child Friendly Courts has been created and inaugrated in Kerala, out of the 28 such courts which is in pipeline. BBA has played an important role in the same as it pushed the demand for the establishment of 1023 Special Courts for dealing with cases of child rape through during the Bharat Yatra held in 2017. Further to it, through the various state consultations held by BBA, the demand for the creation of courts was followed upon by writing letters to the Chief Secreatry and other important stakeholders.
Haryana:-

As India is one of the Signatories to the UNCRC, for which state specific reports on are periodically submitted to the committee.

Department of Women and Child Development Haryana, has issued a notification as per which a committee is to be formed for the preparation of report. BBA has been appointed as the only NGO in that committee.

Kerala has been one of the states to act upon the issue of Child Rape and Child Pornography.
https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/17-special-pocso-courts-inaugurated-in-kerala/1882219
https://keralakaumudi.com/en/news/news.php?id=339976&u=thiruvananthapuram-accounts-for-highest-number-of-pocso-cases-in-kerala
Telangana:-

On February 28th February 2018, Karimnagar declaration was signed to make Telangana a Child Friendly State.

  1. Chief Justice led Committee to review quarterly the cases filed and those in prosecution
    1. The Committee will be co-headed by the Chief Justice of the High Court of Telangana and Deputy Chief Minster/ Minister for Department of Home/ Minister for the Department of Women and Child Development. It will consist of-
      • The Member Secretary of State Legal Services Authority,
      • The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights
      • The Commissioner of Police
      • A non-governmental organization working in the field of child rights.

Our State Coordinator Ms. Chandana has been appointed as one of the members in the committee to monitor the implementation of the deceleration points

The function of this Committee shall be:

  • To monitor the status of all cases in child related laws on a quarterly basis, in terms of registration, investigation and trial.
  • The Committee shall conduct end-to-end monitoring of cases of crime against children, in real-time.
  • Conduct quarterly review on status and causes of pendency.
  • The Committee shall also ensure that day to day trial is set up for all cases of POCSO which have been pending for more than 1 year.
  • The Committee must do a follow up of the review and understand the challenges which are leading to the pendancy of cases.
  • The Committee shall pass necessary directions to the responsible agencies for the timely and effective delivery of justice to children.
  • The Member Secretary of State Legal Services Authority shall be the nodal officer for the operationalisation of the functions of the committee, to coordinate with other relevant agencies
Report Child Abuse