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Child Protection and Preparedness in COVID-19 Epoch
The COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown has meant immense hardship for many sections of society. For children, and especially those from the marginalised communities, the impact has been harsher. They will also face increased risks and hardships in the post-lockdown period. A look at what can be done to deal with these hardships.
The Census 2011 data suggests that 37% of India’s population is accounted for by children. And for rather a long time, the country has been struggling to combat the challenges directly impacting children’s lives—especially the lives of the ones from marginalised and vulnerable communities. For over four decades, Child Rights and You (CRY) has been working with issues of malnutrition, infant mortality, school dropouts, child labour, child marriage and child abuse, among many other vulnerabilities faced by underprivileged children. Our grassroots experience and other evidences clearly show that illness, mortality and morbidity, productivity and developmental challenges are all connected to childhood trauma and exposure to violence. Any kind of conflict, crisis, natural calamities and health emergencies—like the one COVID-19 pandemic has hurled upon us—can further affect children’s well-being, survival, safety, protection and overall development.
Child protection is usually defined as the issues related to protecting children from any kind of violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect and discrimination. Article 19 of the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the Child provides for the protection of children in and out of the home.
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