Our Reporter
Dimapur, Nov. 29 (EMN): History has been ladled with issues of violence and abuse, and the challenges faced by NGOs in preventing and combating child sexual abuse need to be addressed collectively to safeguard the future generation, according to the president of Nagaland Alliance for Children and Women’s Rights (NACWR), Yanger.
He was speaking at a workshop on ‘identifying and responding to child abuse in Nagaland’ organised by Nagaland Development Outreach (NDO), NACWR and Child Line Dimapur, in Dimapur on Friday.
According to Yanger, in the olden days, the security and well-being of women and children in Naga villages were up to the male members.
‘There were strict moral values and regulations but the issue of child sexual abuse and discrimination was rampant even in those days. Even in the biblical accounts, in the Old Testament, we see numerous instances of abuse, discrimination and violence,’ he said.
He observed that customary practices in Nagaland were a challenge in preventing and combating child sexual abuse stating, “Challenges in the settlement of cases through customary practices and interference from all in such cases are sometimes not child-friendly. Victims’ need for counselling, rehabilitation, care and support, and sensitive handling (where the identity of the victim is exposed through relatives, social media) are never taken into consideration.”
Dialogues on sex education or sexual offences, especially in the tribal community or family setup, are considered a taboo and therefore pose a challenge in preventing and combating child sexual abuse, he said.
“There is no proper educational curriculum or mechanism from the government and civil society. So schools, both government and private, need to empower the teachers and caretakers on child rights and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (Pocso) Act 2012, and the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act 2013 so that all actors and stakeholders are thoroughly equipped with the knowledge of child rights and the applicable laws pertaining to the offences,” he suggested.
Ignorance on the part of parents and adults on child sexual abuse can lead to a negative impact on their children, he said.
Complications arise when the offence occurs within the family, thus refraining them from talking about the issue, he said. Another challenge was the lengthy legal process and lack of adequate services and facilities in addressing the issue, he added.
‘The rampant practice of employing and engaging child labour and failure to impose strict child Labour Acts encourages child abuse. There are weak or no proper child protection mechanisms especially in the rural areas, from the village council, panchayat, student organisations and that are, therefore, not empowered to address the issue,’ said the activist.
