In a partnership with Facebook, UNICEF India will launch a one-year initiative to ensure online safety along with ending violence against children and adolescents.
According to Mint, under this joint partnership, UNICEF India and Facebook will focus on improving safe access to the virtual world for children. In addition, the parties will spread awareness about violence against children and the way it affects them as well as their families.
A social campaign is set to be launched with capacity building for 1,00,000 school students across the country, where they would be provided lessons on online safety, digital literacy and psychosocial support.
On Monday, Aastha Saxena, a Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Women and Children explained, “Over the past one and half years, the internet has enabled children to continue with their education, removing the barriers of time and geography. As we encourage students to explore the great knowledge resource available online, we should be cognizant of the threats that come along with the all-pervasive nature of these online mediums.”
UNICEF India’s Deputy Representative Programmes, Yasumasa Kimura, further added that the COVID-19 pandemic had increased possibilities of children facing violence, both online and offline. Hence, it was important for different stakeholders to join in increasing awareness, change of behaviours and perceptions about how, when and where child violence took place.
