Bhubaneswar: Education can be a game-changer in addressing the problem of child marriage and child labour in the society.
This was revealed by experts at a workshop on children’s rights and child-friendly media reporting organised by Save the Children, an independent child rights organisation, here Thursday.
The workshop, attended by senior child rights activists from across the state saw discussions on issues faced by children, like child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, child labour, trafficking and high school dropout rates.
According to a baseline survey, the Department of Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti (WCD-MS) found that nearly 56,000 girls in the age group of 11-14 are out of school, which in turn leads to other challenges.
The State of World Population Report says that while elementary education can reduce child marriages across the globe by 14 per cent, secondary education can diminish it by a whopping 64 per cent.
Another report by Save the Children suggests that one out of four children get married before the legal age of marriage, and 3.7 per cent children are working as child labourers.
Throwing light on importance of education as a game changer, Devendra Tak, Head of Communication at Save the Children, said, “Poverty is a major challenge in the state that pushes the school dropout rates up and forces early marriages. That leads to unproductive childhood. Understanding that education plays a vital role in opening up opportunities, the outfit has programmes to provide children a vision for a brighter future by ensuring that children complete education and learn life skills. The media can help in highlighting positive developments so that the pace of change can increase through sharing of best practices and inspiring models of successful interventions.”
Speaking on the role of media in ensuring the rights of a child, Sandeep Sahu, senior journalist with BBC said, “If the rights of a child is being violated it is our duty to highlight it so that it can draw the attention of the government and the authorities responsible for ensuring children’s rights and the public at large.”
Jhulima Mallick, a child champion, who was nominated for the National Youth Award for championing the cause of preventing child marriages, said, “I was in Class VIII when my family got an alliance for me. But the life skills training I received at school helped me convince my family to allow me to study. I have been speaking to girls and boys in my community and have stopped 12 child marriages so far.”
Another girl, Hirandi Nisadh, who works as a child leader in the Nuapada area said, “I was forcibly married off by my parents at the age of 16 but once I was rescued, I started studying and I also work as a volunteer to save other girls from child marriages.”
Mansawini Sahoo, who works with Save the Children and had rescued several kids from child marriage in Budhipalli panchayat of Nayagarh, said, “We have rescued around 388 children from child marriages in the area. We created several child leaders who help us in convincing people to allow girls to study.”