PESHAWAR: A nine-day training on Child Protection Case Management and Referral System in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, jointly organised by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Child Protection and Welfare Commission (KPCPWC) and UNICEF, concluded on Tuesday.
According to a press release issued here, the purpose of training was to build capacity of participants on newly developed case management and referral system for the prevention and response in cases of children at risk including abuse, neglect and exploitation.
The training was conducted in two phases.
During initial three days, relevant stakeholders including more than hundred representatives of government departments, civil society organisations and field staff of child protection were sensitised regarding case management and referral system.
In the second phase, staff of KPCPWC and Zamung kor who are directly involved in prevention, response and service delivery, were comprehensively trained on the case management for six days.
Ijaz Muhammad Khan, Chief Protection Officer, said that KPCPWC has joined hands with UNICEF, UNHCR and other national and international organisations to further strengthen child protection system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
The system will be implemented in the whole province in which all relevant government departments especially judiciary, education, health, social welfare and other service delivery organisations involved in service delivery, will be included in referral network.
The instant training is first step of the said series of trainings.
Sohail Ahmad, Child Protection Specialist, said that UNICEF has been supporting Social Welfare Department and KPCPWC since 2011 technically and financially for the welfare and protection of children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by establishing and strengthening of Child Protection Units in twelve districts of the province.
Moreover, it has also supported the Commission in awareness raising, advocacy, lobbying and policy.
Currently UNICEF is working with provincial government on devising Child Protection Policy of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and further enhancing case management system.
In the end, certificates were distributed among participants.
Awards were also distributed among various notable child rights activists in recognition of their efforts for ensuring child protection in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Imran Takkar, Sohail Ahmad, Zafar Ali Khan, Tahir Khan, Savinder Kumar and Ijaz Muhammad Khan.
Imran Takkar, child rights expert and one of the trainers, said that capacity building and coordination among the key department /stakeholders is always significant component of a strengthen child protection system.
He said it is pertinent to create awareness among the masses keeping in view to prevent children from all kind of abuse and exploitation.
He requested at the end of the training that resources to be provide by the KP government keeping in view establishing a strengthen child protection system across the province.
Nasheeta Maryam Mohsin, Secretary Social Welfare, told that Social Welfare Department is committed for the provision of protective environment to children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Therefore, the department in the collaboration of KPCPWC and other stakeholders proposed a comprehensive package of amendments in current law, increasing punishments for crimes against children.
The amendments have been passed by the provincial assembly and will be notified in few days.
In his concluding remarks, Anwar Zeb Khan, Minister Social Welfare, told that the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa envisions an effective, integrated system, which can ensure that children who are vulnerable to, or have experienced abuse, are able to have their specific needs assessed and receive timely cross-sectorial support.
To protect the children from abuse is the responsibility of all government departments. The KP Child Protection & Welfare Commission and Social Welfare Department cannot provide all protection services to children in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Each department has to play their role to protect the children across the province.
The training workshop will help to build the capacity on child protection and will help all the collaborative departments to understand how collectively we can protect children from abuse, violence, exploitation, neglect and harmful practices.