Taking up the cause
Being a lecturer and also interested in research, I was led to explore the issue of travelling sex offenders. The more I researched the subject, the more I felt the need to get actively involved in a programme to prevent the institutionalisation of tourism related child sexual abuse.
Fighting for their rights
Children's Rights in Goa (CRG) is involved in child protection and the advocacy of children's rights. Its activities are exclusive to the coastal belt of North Goa. Children's Rights in Goa has three core programmes:
1) Child Empowerment Programme through which it works directly with children in the north coastal belt;
2) A Campaign Unit to spread awareness on the need to protect children from abuse or exploitation at the local level;
3) A Child Protection Cell to manage cases of abused children referred to CRG, and to assist child victims seeking justice through the legal system.
In addition, there is a documentation unit and is involved in capacity building of different stakeholders such as police, teachers, hotel staff etc.
Children are the future
It would help if CRG could forge links with the corporate sector and organise for the vocational training of older children, resulting in better employment opportunities. Giving children the opportunity to look outside the confines of hawking and working in shacks is very important so that they understand that there are other vocations they can get into.
CRG observes India's ratification of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of the Child by organising a Bal Mela every year on 11 December. The objective of the Mela is to provide a platform for the participation of children from different socio-economic backgrounds from the Child Activity Centres and the formal schools.
Changing laws
The Goa Children's Act provides for the adoption of a child friendly tourism code by the Tourism Department and the tourism industry. CRG participated in the drafting of the Goa Children's Act making significant contributions to the section on Child Abuse and Trafficking.
Today Goa is the only state in India to have the Act. It is a comprehensive law that attempts to make the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child legally enforceable; guaranteeing children's rights to survival, development, participation and protection.
On 4 June 2006, members of the Travel and Tourism Association of Goa (TTAG) took a pledge to adopt the Child Friendly Tourist Code developed by TTAG office bearers. We felt that this was a very significant step.
Vigilant adults, safer children
Numerous complaints have been made to the police since the launch of the campaign. Interestingly, CRG has received a number of complaints from tourists, who are extremely disturbed when they witness fellow tourists engaging in inappropriate behaviour with children.
CRG also believes that the Goa Children's Act has to be implemented in letter and in spirit for it to transform children's lives. All members of civil society, especially children, need to be aware of the provisions of the Act so that they can ensure that children's rights are not violated with impunity, as is the case today.
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