KFORD organizes day-long consultation conference.
Kashmir Foundation for Organization Research and Development (KFORD), a State-based research and development group on Tuesday organized a day long stakeholders’ consultation conference on Policy framework to secure rights of orphan children and govern orphanages in Jammu & Kashmir.
The conference which was held at Hotel Fortune Riviera was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India this consultation was held under the Ministry’s special initiative “Access to Justice in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir, “ also referred as A2J (NE&JK).
According to the statement , this initiatives of the Ministry in collaboration with local NGO’s aim to address the legal issues, narrow down the gaps in existing legal framework and fulfil the legal needs of thousands of marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society, in this context, particularly; women and children, scheduled Castes, scheduled Tribes and other backward communities.
Badar Jahan M&D officer of the Department of Justice GoI, Secretary Department of Social Welfare Sajad Ahmad Khan, Mission Director ICPS and ICDS Talat Parvez and Director Social Welfare Jammu Veerji Hangloo attended the conference.
Welcoming the participants Director KFORD Iqbal Lone gave an overview of the study KFORD has conducted for the Ministry of Justice and sought serious recommendations from the stakeholders to make it a holistic document for policy framework for the protection of orphan children and institutionalizing the functioning of the orphanages in the State.
The Summary of the Report–PPT was discussed in depth by Lone which included background and summary and findings and recommendations of the draft policy. “We need to work together as a society for the rights of the children and evolve the discourse around the slogan ‘Child First’” he stressed.
In her key note speech Badar Jahan gave a description of the proposals of the Department of Justice vis-a-vis protection of children and promotion of child rights in J&K and North East. “The Department is serious to put in place a holistic policy framework to secure the rights of orphans and governing of orphanages in J&K and North East. For that purpose the participation of all stakeholders is essential and this consultation is a step towards that,” he elaborated.
In his technical session Hilal Bhat representative of the UNICEF gave a detailed overview of the orphanages in J&K with special emphasis on the Policy Framework.
After threadbare discussions the participants gave the recommendations which include Behavioural Protocols, Procedures for Reporting Abuse of Children in Orphanages, Code of Conduct, Safe Arrangements & Structures, Social Policy, Recreational facility and physical safety, Advocacy, Strategies, Strengthen the legal framework, Orphanage Care and Better Approaches on Child Protection Mechanism.
Keeping in view the discussions on the policy framework a document of detailed recommendations will be submitted to the Government of J&K and the detailed report of the consultation will be sheared and incorporated in this policy draft.
The conference was attended by cross section of the society which include representatives from NGOs working in the field of Child Protection, Media persons, Lawyers, academicians and government officials.
The speakers provided some important data regarding orphan children and orphanages in J&K. It was given out that there are 201 orphanages in which 12716 children are already enrolled.
Government supports only 14 while as 187 orphanages are mostly run through charities with uncertain income. The origin of these charities is local community members in several areas. The significant source of support is either by cash or by kind.
Out of 201 orphanages, 95 of the orphanages are not even registered.
A large percentage of respondents (96%) had no information about section 35(3) of the JJ Act of Jammu and Kashmir, which mandates registration of all homes. The respondents did not even know anything about the JJ Act.
It is more ironical that the government has not done much to enforce Section 35 though a detailed guideline for registration have been issued and the Registrars were designated. (KNS)
The conference which was held at Hotel Fortune Riviera was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India this consultation was held under the Ministry’s special initiative “Access to Justice in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir, “ also referred as A2J (NE&JK).
According to the statement , this initiatives of the Ministry in collaboration with local NGO’s aim to address the legal issues, narrow down the gaps in existing legal framework and fulfil the legal needs of thousands of marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society, in this context, particularly; women and children, scheduled Castes, scheduled Tribes and other backward communities.
Badar Jahan M&D officer of the Department of Justice GoI, Secretary Department of Social Welfare Sajad Ahmad Khan, Mission Director ICPS and ICDS Talat Parvez and Director Social Welfare Jammu Veerji Hangloo attended the conference.
Welcoming the participants Director KFORD Iqbal Lone gave an overview of the study KFORD has conducted for the Ministry of Justice and sought serious recommendations from the stakeholders to make it a holistic document for policy framework for the protection of orphan children and institutionalizing the functioning of the orphanages in the State.
The Summary of the Report–PPT was discussed in depth by Lone which included background and summary and findings and recommendations of the draft policy. “We need to work together as a society for the rights of the children and evolve the discourse around the slogan ‘Child First’” he stressed.
In her key note speech Badar Jahan gave a description of the proposals of the Department of Justice vis-a-vis protection of children and promotion of child rights in J&K and North East. “The Department is serious to put in place a holistic policy framework to secure the rights of orphans and governing of orphanages in J&K and North East. For that purpose the participation of all stakeholders is essential and this consultation is a step towards that,” he elaborated.
In his technical session Hilal Bhat representative of the UNICEF gave a detailed overview of the orphanages in J&K with special emphasis on the Policy Framework.
After threadbare discussions the participants gave the recommendations which include Behavioural Protocols, Procedures for Reporting Abuse of Children in Orphanages, Code of Conduct, Safe Arrangements & Structures, Social Policy, Recreational facility and physical safety, Advocacy, Strategies, Strengthen the legal framework, Orphanage Care and Better Approaches on Child Protection Mechanism.
Keeping in view the discussions on the policy framework a document of detailed recommendations will be submitted to the Government of J&K and the detailed report of the consultation will be sheared and incorporated in this policy draft.
The conference was attended by cross section of the society which include representatives from NGOs working in the field of Child Protection, Media persons, Lawyers, academicians and government officials.
The speakers provided some important data regarding orphan children and orphanages in J&K. It was given out that there are 201 orphanages in which 12716 children are already enrolled.
Government supports only 14 while as 187 orphanages are mostly run through charities with uncertain income. The origin of these charities is local community members in several areas. The significant source of support is either by cash or by kind.
Out of 201 orphanages, 95 of the orphanages are not even registered.
A large percentage of respondents (96%) had no information about section 35(3) of the JJ Act of Jammu and Kashmir, which mandates registration of all homes. The respondents did not even know anything about the JJ Act.
It is more ironical that the government has not done much to enforce Section 35 though a detailed guideline for registration have been issued and the Registrars were designated. (KNS)