Systems for Child Protection, Sundarbans | CRY America | Child Rights & You

The eastern states of West Bengal in India are characterized by some of the worst socio-economic indicators in the country. Poverty is widespread with close to 10% living below the poverty line in West Bengal. Moreover, with villages located far from district headquarters, government services and functionaries have been unable to deliver services efficiently. This directly translates to an increased risk among children from the most vulnerable households due to the inability to access education, health services, and social protection schemes among others. These vulnerabilities force families to adopt negative coping mechanisms such as engaging children in labour as a source of additional income or sending children to work as domestic help in urban centers, all of which have worsened as a result of COVID-19. Further, lack of awareness and recognition of the child’s right to protection within the community give impetus to the incidences of child neglect and abuse including physical punishment and engaging in household chores. Children are often withdrawn from school to take care of domestic chores while parents are out for their livelihood.
Child protection systems are the bedrock to prevent child marriage. They mitigate risks that heighten vulnerabilities for children and adolescents. It is a multi-disciplinary, multi-sectoral approach aiming to prevent and respond to abuse, neglect, exploitation and violence experienced by children in all settings through our programming and advocacy (measures and structures). It implies protecting every right of children against social, psychological and emotional insecurity by preventing all forms of violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse against them including commercial sexual exploitation, trafficking, child labour and harmful home-based violence resulting from superstition, such as, child sacrifices, dedication of girls to gods in the name of custom and traditions such as child marriage etc.