PAHAL - The Initiative
“Empowering Change: Pahal - For Gender Equity and Child Rights”
PAHAL is a transformative initiative combating child rights violations, particularly child marriage and gender discrimination. Working with stakeholders, Pahal aims to improve access to education, prevent child marriages, and empower young leaders to address challenges in Jharkhand
Overview
Through Pahal – The Initiatives, we work with underprivileged and vulnerable children and adolescents (within the age group of 10-19 years) towards building their agency and reduce gender-based resistance to continue their education through working with various stakeholders. It aims to improve access to education, prevent early and forced child marriages, reduce physical violence and empower young leaders to address Child right violations. Through youth-led community mobilization and campaigns we work towards shifting negative attitudes and perceptions around gender and child marriage. Community sensitization events and inter-generational dialogues with parents intended to create an enabling environment for children to access their fundament rights and participate in decision making spaces that affecting them directly.
Our Approach
Through a youth-led approach, the initiative endeavors to foster awareness among community members regarding children's issues and instill a sense of urgency for collective efforts in safeguarding children's rights. The project aims to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, particularly young people, to enhance community-driven child protection systems. The ultimate goal is to ensure that children experience a secure, nurturing, and comprehensive childhood
School engagement
Our Youth Leaders engage children in schools through classroom based sessions on Self, Gender, Health and Nutrition and Child rights, Child protection etc. Various national and international special days are observed in schools towards fostering a gender equitable environment in schools. Children acquire critical skills for initiating effective communication around their rights and aspirations with their parents and care givers. They assume leadership role in changing gendered mindset among their peers and community members by engaging in diverse activities.
Community engagement
We have established Children and Community Resource Centre (CCRCs) in each operational panchayat towards providing a safe space children to access computers, library, and academic classes as well as participate in gender sensitization activities in form of competitions, film screenings etc. CCRCs provide children space to discuss about key issues they witness in community and find solutions to these problems together. Children through CCRCs and their clubs take leadership role to efforts to address child rights violations. A Child Advisory Panel has been formed to represent children's voices in key strategic discussions, planning, and providing essential feedback on an ongoing basis.
Stakeholder’s engagement
The integrated strategy involves investing in the immediate environment of children, particularly focusing on the aspirations of girls. This includes working with parents, teachers, School Management Committees (SMCs), frontline workers, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) members, and young individuals. The goal is to dismantle barriers and promote inclusive norms, ultimately reducing occurrences of child marriage and physical violence. We actively collaborate with key duty bearers, emphasizing that ensuring the safety and protection of children is a primary responsibility for them.
Engaging with Line departments and CSOs
We actively partner with the District Child Protection Unit, Child Welfare Committee, and other crucial officials to emphasize the necessity of fortifying child protection mechanisms within the districts. Additionally, we seek collaboration with like-minded NGOs to amplify the awareness of child rights issues at the district level through strategic campaigns and advocacy initiatives.
