E-Paper
Sensitisation campaign: UP to launch awareness drive in schools
The Uttar Pradesh government will launch a campaign in education institutions to ensure the safety, respect, and self-reliance of women. The campaign will include webinars, seminars, health check-up camps, and awareness programs on various topics. Efforts will also be made to improve attendance, establish functional facilities, and provide education on legal provisions.
The UP government is to launch a campaign in all institutions linked to the higher education, secondary education and basic education department from October 14, to ensure safety, respect and self-reliance of women.
The campaign forms part of the fourth phase of Mission Shakti in Uttar Pradesh, a government press release read. Chief minister Yogi Adityanath will inaugurate the fourth phase by flagging off a rally from his official residence on October 14.
During the campaign, webinars and seminars will be conducted in schools to raise awareness among girls about their rights and inform them about the legal provisions for their safety. It will also foster awareness of critical topics such as child rights, safety, and security, as well as the importance of distinguishing between safe and unsafe physical contact.
The departments of higher education, secondary education, and basic education have formulated an action plan in this regard.
To achieve gender equality in higher education, an awareness campaign will be conducted to increase enrolments of women by providing them equal opportunities in higher education.
Additionally, after listening to the issues of girls, counselling will be given through NGOs and psychiatrists under the ‘Chuppi Todo, Khulkar Bolo’ programme.
Health camps to be held
Each university and college will arrange a health check-up camp for girl students, ensuring at least one such camp in each institution. Additionally, every higher educational institution will facilitate regular dialogues with female role models on a monthly basis and actively promote various government schemes aimed at enhancing women’s safety.
Special events related to specific themes will also be organised. These programmes will include activities focused on the designated theme and will involve administering the Girl Child Safety Pledge. The objective is to sensitise and raise awareness in society, particularly among children, about the safety and respect of the girl child.
Focus will be on regular attendance of girls
To ensure regular attendance of girls in schools, the basic education department will run an attendance campaign, conducting programmes every Saturday in 1.33 lakh schools. Furthermore, the parents of girls who are frequently absent from school will be contacted and educated about the importance of attendance.
Within these 1.33 lakh schools, principals and teachers will raise students’ awareness by engaging them in discussions on various issues such as child rights, safety, security, safe and unsafe touches and others.
Efforts will be made to establish functional toilets and incinerators for girls in upper primary and composite schools. Children will receive education on legal provisions, including the right to education, POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses), child marriage, the dowry system, and domestic violence. Students will be informed about important helpline numbers such as 1098, 1090, 112, and 181, 112 and 181.
There will be a consistent focus on discussing menstrual hygiene management with girls in upper primary schools, and they will receive training through activity books. Special attention will be given to the 79,000 girls studying in KGBV to ensure they are well-informed and empowered.
Information will be provided to students and female teachers regarding the objectives and activities of the Internal Complaint Committee (Vishakha Guideline) in the schools of the Secondary Education Department. For emergency help, wall writing will be done with complete information about Child Helpline 1098, Women Helpline 181, 1090, Police Control Room- 112, Ambulance 108, nearest police station number.
