Project to educate girls on ways to escape abuse

Pointing out at the social responsibility to protect girl children, Commissioner of Police, Salem, Sanjay Kumar said the police have a role in it. He said that in the first phase the police will create awareness among school and college girls on sexual abuse and how they could get help. 

Seventeen child welfare police officers and three police officers from the Special Juvenile Police Unit will coordinate the initiative covering 109 schools in the city.  

Collector V Sampath said that Udhayam question and complaint boxes will be placed at institutions covered under the project. He said confidentiality will be maintained over the identity of those filing complaints and prompt action will be taken.  

UNICEF Child Protection Specialist G. Kumaresan and officers and staff from the Salem District Child Protection Unit and the School Education Department participated in the event held at the Kottai Government Girls Higher Secondary School in Salem.

Campaign For Ending Girl Child Marriages in Tamil Nadu, a network of NGOs, has planned to conduct evidence-based data survey on child marriages in Tamil Nadu. State Convener of the campaign M S A Sathishbabu said there is no proper data about child marriages in state. 

At the zonal level NGOs Network Meeting that was jointly organised by the District Legal Services Authority, Namakkal, and NGOs it was decided that a state level survey will be initiated to identify the scenario and take stock of the actual number of victims before working out strategies to end the menace. Representatives of as many as 80 NGOs from Tiruchy, Dindigul, Namakkal, Karur, Salem and Erode participated in the meeting.