Knowledge, key to mitigating child abuse - Minister

Dharma Sri Abeyratne

Child abuse can be mitigated and lessened by strengthening and enhancing the existing knowledge, skills and capacity of child protection and social protection actors, Child Development and Women's Affairs Minister Tissa Karaliyadda said.

The Minister was addressing a capacity building training project for the child and social protection actors in the North and East in the government sector. This curriculum, skills and capacity development project will be carried out by the Sri Lanka Foundation and Child Development and Women's Affairs Ministry with European Union (EU) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) assistance.

The Minister said the Ministry and the government is the driving force that helps build a country, where the rights of every child are realized and protected. Hence, the government influences decision-makers and a variety of partners at grass roots level to turn the most innovative ideas into reality when mitigating child abuse. The Ministry strongly believes that nurturing and caring for children are the cornerstones of human progress. UNICEF is also keen to work with other segment to overcome the obstacles that poverty, violence, disease and discrimination place in a child's path, the Minister said.

In accordance with the programme, 300 child protection and social protection actors in the North and East will be trained aiming to ensure that child and social protection efforts are effectively and efficiently dealt with. Officials attached to the Child Development and Women Affairs, National Child Protection Authority, Children's Secretariat, Women's Bureau, National Committee on Women, Grama Niladari, etc will undergo training.The training programme is designed according to the working procedures, tools, techniques and guidelines of the Department of Probation and Child Care Services (DPCCS) and the Social Services Department.