Child issues should be part of human rights, say activists

There is a need to bring child rights issues under the human rights purview as children are also humans who face rights issues, said activists at a discussion on girl child issues organised by NGO Vision India, ahead of the International Day for Girl Child.

“It is a congenital defect to be a female in India. Children’s issues are not considered as human rights issues. Why this segregation? It is the question of babies’ right to be — to be a girl, a boy, a human being,” said Razia Ismail, activist and convenor of Women’s Coalition Trust.

Ismail said the worst-hit age group as far as child sex ratio is concerned is the 15 to 19 years bracket, rather than the skewed ratio within the age group of birth to 6 years, which has declined to 914 from 927 in 2001 for girls per 1,000 boys.

“According to the 2001 census, the ratio for this bracket is 858 girls to 1,000 boys. When we asked for a trend, the government gave us figures for 1971, 1981 and 1991 that showed a steady decline. The government said the issues were mainly due to maternity problems, but those were also not defined properly,” she said.

Vijay Laxmi Nanda, a Political Science lecturer of Miranda House and coordinator of a campaign against female foeticide, said it is an emergency situation which the government seems to be taking lightly.

“It is not the poor but people above the middle class category that are engaging in sex-selective abortion. In the 2011 census, it is shocking to see that states like Orissa, Jammu and Kashmir and a large part of eastern India have started seeing a decline in sex ratio,” she said.

Activists expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s disconnect with civil societies working in areas like child rights, preventing dowry deaths and female foeticide, among others.

“Delhi has done nothing to cater to cases under the Pre-conception and Pre Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex selection) (PCPNDT) Act. We need to implement this law in full force. The government needs to ensure quick delivery of judgements and fast-track courts for better justice for children,” said Nanda.

Others pointed out that creating awareness among people, especially girls about their rights, is equally important.

“We house several girls in our hostel, but most of them are not aware of their rights under different laws. It is now essential for groups to include male members in policy discussions related to women and girl child rights,” said Leila Passah, national general secretary, Young Women’s Christian Association.