SC to organise National Annual Stakeholders Consultation on 'Safeguarding the Girl Child'

New Delhi [India], October 10 (ANI): The Juvenile Justice Committee of the Supreme Court will organise on October 11 and 12 the 10th National Annual Stakeholders Consultation on 'Safeguarding the Girl Child: Towards a Safer and Enabling Environment for Her in India'.
The event is to be organised in association with UNICEF India and will mark the culmination of several state consultations that have taken place across the country.
The Supreme Court has been conducting the National Stakeholder Consultations on an annual basis, convening all key stakeholders to drive stronger coordination between justice, social welfare, and community systems for protecting and advancing the rights of every child in the country.

Organised under the aegis of the Supreme Court's Juvenile Justice Committee, led by Justice BV Nagarathna, Chairperson Juvenile Justice Committee and Judge Supreme Court of India and Justice JB Pardiwala, Member Juvenile Justice Committee and Judge Supreme Court of India, this year's Consultation coincides with the International Day of the Girl Child on October 11.
Chief Justice of India Bhushan Ramakrishna Gavai will deliver the inaugural address at the National Consultation.
Annpurna Devi, Minister of Women and Child Development, Justice Nagarathna, Chairperson, Cynthia McCaffrey, country representative UNICEF India, will also be addressing the inaugural session.
A 'Handbook on Child Rights and the Law' will be released by Justice Pardiwala.

A press release issued by the Supreme Court stated that over the two days, the consultation will "deliberate on strengthened measures towards preventing violence against girls, ensuring timely justice for survivors, and expanding access to education, healthcare, and social protection".
The first session of the Consultation would focus on the Right to be Born, Nurtured and Educated, followed by the Second session on safeguarding the Girl Child from Cyber Crimes. The Third session seeks to emphasise Protection of the Girl Child from Abuse, Exploitation and Violence and will also include sharing of best practices from the States about Trafficking of Girl Child: Prevention, Challenges and Effective Interventions; Child Marriage and Violence against Girl Child," it added.
A Session on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012, scheduled on October 12, will discuss the challenges and explore ways to strengthen the implementation of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, followed by the closing session that would focus on the learnings from the consultation and the way forward.
The two-day consultation will also be attended by representatives from the Women & Child Development/Social Welfare Department, the Department of Health, and the Department of School Education from every state and Union Territory, among others.
The Annual Stakeholders Consultation in 2024, had witnessed discussions centered on enhancing protection for children with disabilities, leading to state-level actions such as reasonable accommodation measures and improved monitoring of residential care facilities. In 2023, the Consultation focused on improving services for Children in Conflict with the Law, in line with India's child-centric justice framework.

Reinforcing the shared commitment of the judiciary, government, and civil society, this year's consultation underscores that protecting and empowering every girl is a national priority and key to India's inclusive growth, the press release stated. (ANI)