a day ago
Preparation of handbook on protection of rights of children with disability halted owing to resource crunch
Lack of resources has halted the progress of the handbook on 'Protecting the rights of children living with disability (focus on CiCL and CNCP) and intersectionality of disabilities with gender (including LGBTQIA+), caste, and community'.
In May 2024, a joint committee meeting of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Committee and the Juvenile Justice Committee passed a resolution to create a handbook on 'Protecting the rights of children living with disability (focus on Children In Conflict with Law and Children in Need of Care and Protection) and Intersectionality of disabilities with gender (including LGBTQIA+), caste, and community etc'.
The handbook was meant to recommend intersectional mechanisms to help disabled children, gender non conforming children, among others. Further, it was aimed to provide case studies and intersectional approaches for children requiring protection. However, a year later the handbook is yet to reach completion.
The School Education Department, State Crimes against Women and Children, Welfare of the Differently-Abled Department, Institute of Mental Health and M. Gopi Shankar Madurai, intersex activist, were commissioned to prepare the handbook.
Mx. Gopi has spent the past year gathering data for the handbook. When requesting resources to finalize it, they were advised to approach the State government for support, which would cover travel expenses for data collection, honorariums for research scholars, and a workspace to compile the handbook.
'About 60% of the handbook is complete but there is still more to do. When I sought resources, funds I was told to file a public interest litigation or to approach the State government. The High Court had passed the resolution to prepare one in the first place. It shows the lack of awareness regarding the importance of the subject,' said Mx. Gopi.
