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New Delhi, February 06, 2019: Plan India and NITI Aayog today signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) with the objective and vision to bolster the health and nutrition indicators across seven Aspirational Districts: Siddharth Nagar in Uttar Pradesh, Haridwar in Uttarakhand, Hazaribagh, West Singhbhum, and Khunti in Jharkhand, Karauli in Rajasthan and Muzaffarpur in Bihar.

The SoI was signed between Mr. Rakesh Ranjan, Deputy Director General (Evaluation), NITI Aayog, Government of India and Ms Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan India in the presence of Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; Ms. Rathi Vinay Jha, Chairperson, Plan India Governing Board; and senior members of the Plan India team.

Mr. Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog said, “Development partners are crucial to supplement the efforts of the Government in the Aspirational Districts, in providing quality knowledge inputs and practical support. Convergence of competence across sectors, improved administrative efficiency and evidence-based policy remains the hallmark of the Aspirational Districts Programme.”

Plan India is supporting NITI Aayog’s ongoing efforts to bring in an overall transformation of the districts leading to the rise of India in the Human Development Index ranking as well as Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore until 2020, Plan India as part of the SoI commits its support through technical and thematic assistance, assessing and building the capacity of the stakeholders, aiding in monitoring of the implementation of the district level action plans and engaging the civil society to steer issue based research.

Commenting on the partnership, Ms. Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan India said, “Plan India is a child rights organisation, committed to the overall development of the children, particularly girls. For us this partnership is very important, as we can contribute to nation development by sharing our technical learnings, best practices and gender transformative approaches built over the course of 40 years.”

About Aspirational Districts: The Honourable Prime Minister of India, has set a vision to improve ‘ease of living’ in the most backward districts of India. NITI Aayog has identified 117 districts based on objective criteria pertaining to education, heath & nutrition, financial inclusion & skill development, agriculture and water resources and basic infrastructure. These 117 districts aspire to improve the performance rapidly and hence are referred as ‘Aspirational Districts’. The Government of India, in partnership with States has launched an initiative to rapidly transform these districts. This initiative is anchored in the NITI Aayog. For this programme, the NITI Aayog and Plan India are collaborating to improve indicators in health & nutrition in aspirational districts of India.

More than 80 experts across diverse background like jurists, policymakers, civil society, organisations, youth and think tanks discuss the mechanisms to bring justice for children and system strengthening to safeguard child rights

Voices of young children’s ‘Children have something to say’- experiences and perceptions of safety at home, school and community was presented at the conference

New Delhi, 05 December, 2018:

The third edition of the ‘Plan For Every Child-Girls Get Equal’ national conference started today at India Habitat Centre in New Delhi. The three-day power packed discussions, scheduled from December 05 to 07,2018, aims at formalising clear action points to strengthen child protection mechanisms in India, especially for girls and young women, in order to ensure their wellbeing and right to a dignified life. Organised by Plan India, in partnership with the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Plan For Every Child Conference brings together people from diverse backgrounds like jurists, government officials, media, civil society organisation, experts and child rights practitioners from national and international sphere.

The inaugural session was attended by Mr. Rakesh Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development; Ms. Upma Srivastava, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment among others. Hon’ble Mr. Justice Madan B. Lokur of the Supreme Court of India was also present at the conference to deliver the keynote address on prevention, justice and accountability for children.

Commenting on Plan India’s commitment to safeguarding child rights in the country, Ms. Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan India said, “This year conference will focus on improving the system’s approach in the country to strengthen child protection. In partnership with the Ministry of Social Justice and empowerment, and 80 eminent speakers from diverse background, we would deliberate on systems strengthening for child protection as a critical factor in the governance of any country. The key partners would focus on the systems to create strong safety nets for girls and young women with a vision to enable children, especially girls to learn, lead, decide and thrive.”

The three-day conference will facilitate multiple sessions, presentations and discussions on various aspects of child protection including the need for research and evidence building; role of media, communities, grassroots institutions, executive, legislature in putting the last girl first; integrated approaches and the role of technology in achieving gender justice.

One of the key highlights of the conference will be the special session called ‘Make our World Safe – Who is Accountable?’ on children’s experiences and perceptions of safety at home, school and community. The voices have been gathered through participatory consultation with children between 5-10 years across four states of Plan India programme areas. The session would seek to capture voices of children towards their development and protection, particularly girls as their voices and concerns are mostly unheard with an assumption of incapability.

The Plan for Every Child National Conference in 2016 and 2017 acted as a forum to exchange ideas and foster dialogue on issues related to children in difficult circumstances. In its first year, deliberations from the conference founded the 2016 India Declaration – a commitment by 500 NGOs across 32 states and union territories along with key stakeholders in government, media and subject matter experts, to protect and uphold the rights of the child. Following this collective dedication, we examined the interface of inclusion, access and opportunities for girls in our 2017 conference by bringing to the platform, important deliberations regarding solutions and best practices for challenges faced by girls. Furthermore, the conference brought forth voices of the youth from around the country. The 2018 Conference hopes to bring rich and varied perspectives on justice for children and system strengthening to safe guard child rights.

Plan India continues to focus on the capacity building of local NGO partners working in the area of child protection, create improved resource and communication materials to apprise children about their rights, develop long term advocacy plans to address on-ground challenges like child marriage, child labour and female foeticide among others and forge partnerships. Since children, particularly girls are significant voices of change, Plan India will continue working through children clubs and youth champions and would ensure that their views are incorporated into policy reviews and planning for future.

17 bold Girl Changemakers from across 10 states stepped into the roles of ambassadors and high commissioners of 17 countries and relayed messages of equality, freedom and power for girls and young women on the International Day of the Girl. The IDG Diplomatic Missions takeover was a joint collaboration between Plan India and the Delegation of the European Union to India, actively supported by the participating diplomatic missions Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, EU, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Israel, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.

The Girls Changemakers are representing 10 Indian States: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttrakhand, Meghalaya, Odisha, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telengana, Rajasthan and Jharkhand. They have been selected through a rigorous screening process and will be bringing their unique perspectives to the national level. This is the second year that Plan India and Diplomatic Missions have partnered to give girls the agency to share their stories of courage and leadership while expressing their unequivocal commitment to the larger movement of girls’ rights and leadership.

Through the takeovers, the Girl Changemakers asserted their rights to be heard and seen, showcased their potential as leaders, engaged into meaningful and contributory dialogue on Sustainable Development Goals, and brought attention to issues that limit and hinder girls from accessing their rights as well as opportunities. The Girl Changemakers, unanimously sent out a strong message on the urgent need for girls and young women to have equal rights to education, health, and socio, economic and political participation. They also called upon their peers to raise their voices and claim their rights.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Anil Kapoor, Plan India Patron and Goodwill Ambassador, and a National Award winning actor, said, “This is such a proud moment for us. It is wonderful to see 17 of our young girls leading from the front and performing their duties with such diligence and responsibility. I am confident that with more and more girls taking up positions of power, our country’s future will definitely be bright. This is my 12th year of association with Plan India. I am always eager to lend my support to the cause of gender equality. It is inspiring to see young girls progressing with such confidence and rigor.”

Mr. Tomasz Kozlowski, Ambassador of the European Union to India speaking on behalf of all the 17 Diplomatic Missions said, “Girls Takeovers are a call for a social and political change to tear down the barriers that continue to hold girls back. Girls, boys, men and women all have an important role to play in building a society that empowers every member to reach their full potential. The empowerment of women and girls is critical in achieving Sustainable Development Goals, and diplomatic missions in Delhi are proud to participate to this year’s takeover.”

Commenting on this initiative, Ms. Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan India, said, “Considering the crucial role that women play in a country’s economic and social development, there is a need for sustained efforts from all stakeholders to work towards the goal of achieving gender equality. By occupying spaces and places where they are rarely seen or heard, girls seek to highlight the challenges they face and represent their potential and determination to build a more equal world that values girls and promotes their rights.”

Such significant platforms would help us to achieve our goal of reaching out to 10 million girls by 2020 ensuring each one of them have been provided the opportunity to Learn, Lead, Decide and Thrive, added, Ms. Dengle.

On the occasion, Mr. Anil Kapoor also launched the ‘Girls Get Equal Campaign’. The campaign focuses on advocating for the power of girls and their right to be equally seen, heard and valued.

Globally, Plan International has launched the #GirlsTakeover action as a bold new campaign that calls for increased investment in girls’ power, activism and leadership. This campaign is world’s biggest girl-led action for gender equality. Over 1000 #GirlsTakeover were held in more than 70 countries to mark International Day of the Girl. Here, girls raised their voice against the discrimination, harassment, and inequalities that hold them back.

Achieving gender equality is one of the Global Goals (SDG 5) agreed upon by world leaders in 2015, which promises to transform the world by 2030. International Day of the Girl Child was declared an international observance day by the United Nations due to the advocacy efforts of Plan International. On the occasion of the seventh International Day of the Girl, Plan India stands with girls for equality and strives to work together with them to create opportunities for greater engagement of girls and illustrate every girl’s sheer potential and right to equal opportunities.

About Plan India

Plan India is a nationally registered not for profit organisation striving to advance children’s rights and equality for girls, thus creating a lasting impact in the lives of vulnerable and excluded children and their communities. Since 1979, Plan India and its partners have improved the lives of millions of children and young people by enabling them access to protection, quality education and healthcare services, a healthy environment, livelihood opportunities and participation in decisions which affect their lives.

Plan India is a member of the Plan International Federation, an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan International is active in more than 70 countries.

About the EU Delegation to India and Bhutan

For over 55 years, the EU and India have worked together to reduce poverty, prevent disasters, expand trade, and promote joint research and innovation, amongst others in areas of water, health, energy and societal challenges in general. More information at: http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/india

The EU is deeply committed to the implementation of all SDGs not only in Europe and India but all over the world, and the EU is working actively with various partners, including the Indian government, to achieve the SDGs globally and locally. SDG 5 on gender equality and women’s empowerment is particularly critical for the EU and for India. Amongst various projects and initiatives, the EU delegation to India has been participating in girls’ takeovers with Plan India since 2016.

Plan India’s Statement

As an organisation working to advance children’s rights and equality for girls, Plan India believes that the absence of any form of protection not only denies children their rights, which they are entitled to, but also emphasises the abdication of our role as a society, as child protection is every citizen’s responsibility. Plan India firmly believes in the constitutional mandate to protect children, and that the State has foremost responsibility to uphold it, even before families. Child Care Institutions (CCIs) are meant to provide much needed parental support to children who are in difficult circumstances. To this end, a number of CCIs have been established by the government or in partnership with Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). These institutions are a safe haven for children who are destitute and without support from their families, communities and other social structures. They are generally the last hope for exceedingly vulnerable children in difficult circumstances.

In this context, it is appalling and reprehensible to learn, that girls in a government funded Care and Protection Home in Muzaffarpur, Bihar were subjected to serious violations of their rights, from the very people entrusted to ensure and protect their well-being. It is deplorable that gross misconduct and atrocities, including the sexual abuse of girls, have further been discovered through numerous media reports. The incident is shocking in itself as complaints against this institution have been received since 2013, and in 2014, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) Court assigned an Additional District Judge (ADJ) to regularly monitor the institution. Despite these objections and ongoing monitoring, it is disturbing to note that this institution was provided with the statutory registration to continue as a Child Care Institution.

The incident in Muzaffarpur is by far one of the most condemnable and requires appropriate legal actions to ensure that all children are protected from harm.

Plan India strongly condemns any form of abuse, exploitation and neglect of children particularly those in need of care and support. We would also like to reiterate the need to strengthen the systems that support children in difficult circumstances by initiating the following measures:

• The government should constitute a high level commission of inquiry to look into this incident and formulate appropriate regulations for all CCIs.
• Concerted efforts should be made to ensure that such incidents are not repeated, and keeping this in mind, a review of monitoring systems of CCIs should be strengthened.
• A comprehensive analysis of CCIs across India by the Supreme/High Court Juvenile Justice Committee (JJC) could provide in-depth guidance to improve the governance of homes.
• Standard Operation Procedures for CCIs should be developed by the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), and mandated to be practiced by all the CCIs.
• Child Safeguarding Standards should be implemented in all the CCIs, at par with international standards for care and protection.
• Robust and timely reporting and response mechanisms need to be established within the CCIs.
• Alternative Care based on the ICPS scheme needs to be strengthened.
• As and where applicable, de-institutionalised community based care, family based care and foster care should be considered for children in difficult circumstances.

Plan India, a not for profit organisation striving to advance children’s rights and equality for girls, today announced the winners of the second edition of Plan Impact Awards. The Awards aims at honouring the tireless efforts of community frontline workers and volunteers who are positively contributing to necessary and critical services reaching those most in need at village and district level across the country.

Amitabh Kant, Chief Executive Officer, NITI Aayog and Shabana Azmi, veteran actor and social activist, who were the Chief Guests on the occasion, gave away the awards to the winners. Other delegates who graced the event were Govind Nihalani, Chair Emeritus, Plan India Governing Board and Rathi Vinay Jha, Chairperson, Plan India Governing Board.

Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan India said, “Plan India is committed towards building a strong linkage between communities and government service providers at village, district, state and national level to reach the most disadvantaged sections of society. The Plan India Impact Awards is a demonstration of this commitment. It acknowledges the outstanding efforts of community frontline workers and volunteers while encouraging documentation and dissemination of best practices. It is an ongoing exercise which is witnessing great acceptance from all sections and we hope to continue the same going forward.”

Speaking on the occasion, Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog said, “I would also like to congratulate the 7 outstanding winners for their commitment, rigour and dedication to improve the lives of all in their communities. The last mile champions share crucial lifesaving information and facilitate access to transformative programmes and schemes of the government. Their determined efforts compliment the developmental projects owned and initiated by the communities and government. They are truly an inspiration for millions across India.”

Commenting on the occasion, veteran actor and social activist, Shabana Azmi said, “This is my second year with the Plan India Impact Awards. I have seen the awards concept growing. What really defines these awards is the cause. There are very few platforms where the spotlight is on the people who tirelessly work behind the scenes expecting nothing in return. In my long journey as a social activist, I see that the grassroot workers are always at the forefront helping local communities to bring positive and sustainable change. It is remarkable to see how a little bit of encouragement generates a different level of confidence and a true sense of empowerment in these community leaders.”

The Plan India Impact Awards 2018 followed a comprehensive two months method that included an outreach and orientation of more than 190+ NGOs partners, enlisting nominations across 22 states followed by a stringent process review by process partner PricewaterhouseCoopers. These were then followed by Regional Jury Deliberations across north, south and east and north-east region and finally the National Jury Selection leading us to the winners.

The Plan India Impact Awards 2018 has increased its reach from 13 states in 2017 to 22 states this year. The number of nominations have also increased five-fold rising from 53 in 2017 to 289 in 2018.

Winner in the Anganwadi Worker category, Ms. Kanaklata Raula from Odisha, has spent 24 years of her life for women and child healthcare information and support said, “It is encouraging to receive such a national level recognition. I believe our role is critical in both a mother’s and child’s wellbeing and this recognition will not only motivate me but also my co-workers.”

On receiving the award in the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) category, Ms. Anupam Singh from Uttar Pradesh who is dedicated to health related needs of the community, said, “I have been working as an ASHA for 13 years now and feel very proud of myself. I consider it as my duty to selflessly serve our fellow community members and I like it when people respect us for our knowledge and services that we provide.”

21 years old, Ms. Pari Singh from Jharkhand who received the Youth Champion for Girls’ Rights award said, “There is still a lot of work that needs to be done especially in the area of gender equality, girl’s education, hygiene and sanitation. I think this recognition will also encourage other young members to join in the effort and make change happen on ground.”

Amongst the other categories, from Odisha, Mr. Pitabas Majhi was awarded for his contribution as an Outreach Worker and Mr. Bhagirathi Moharana was awarded in the Community Volunteer category. The Best School Management Committee was awarded to Jhajju, Bikaner district, Rajasthan and the Best Child Welfare Committee was given to Thane, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

About Plan India

Plan India is a nationally registered not for profit organisation striving to advance children’s rights and equality for girls, thus creating a lasting impact in the lives of vulnerable and excluded children and their communities.

Since 1979, Plan India and its partners have improved the lives of millions of children and young people by enabling them access to protection, quality education and healthcare services, a healthy environment, livelihood opportunities and participation in decisions which affect their lives.
Plan India is a member of the Plan International Federation, an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan International is active in more than 70 countries.

About Plan India Impact Awards

The Plan India Impact Awards is a one of a kind platform in India that recognises and awards exemplary work of grassroots champions who have battled numerous challenges in their lives to bring a change in the society. Instituted in 2017, Plan India Impact Awards are now an annual recognition of positive contribution of community frontline workers and volunteers.

250 Children Advocates showcase voices of 116,302 children from nine states

Reinforcing the commitment to advancing children’s rights and equality for girls, Plan India today announced the first edition of the Children’s Literary Festival in the city of Lucknow. The Festival aims at promoting quality education through joyful classroom learning and gender equality in children’s literature, and textbooks thus contributing to the larger goal of girls and boys being able to learn, lead, decide and thrive.

More than 250 children from nine states (Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Odisha, Maharashtra, Bihar and Jharkhand) will participate in the festival designed to accelerate the culture of reading through interactive processes such as games, story-telling, visualisation of print through art forms.

As the first of its kind in the city, the literary festival for children will provide an excellent avenue for creativity, imagination and a joyful exchange of ideas between children from different states.

Given the steady decline in children’s reading habits and the fact that most children’s books and literature are seen as propagating gender and other social stereotypes, the two day literary festival would also provide a platform for children, teachers, educationists and authors to influence and advocate with key stakeholders to publish low cost, gender sensitive and socially inclusive children’s books and stories.

Speaking at the event, Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan India said, “Plan India has been working with local NGO partners in more than 6,000 government schools and pre-schools with the objective of promoting quality education and learning for all children. Improving the reading habits of school children to enhance their learning and academic performance is one of the key outcomes of our education and early childhood education programme. The Children’s Literary Festival is a big step towards creating a national movement which offers an interface platform for children with important stakeholders like the government, publishers, story writers to voice the need for easily accessible, joyful and inclusive reading materials; which break gender stereotypes and present gender transformative references for children.”

Sharing her experience on the state workshop, Shivangi, a member of a Children’s Club in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, said “I was not at all familiar with the terms gender equality and inclusion, but during the workshop, I got an understanding and now will promote it in our monthly meetings with children. I also learned the value of reading. I wish that there could be many more interesting books in my school library which will benefit both boys and girls.”

As a pre-cursor to the event, over the last three months 116,302 children from 776 schools across nine states participated in a series of pre-festival activities at the village/slum, district and state level.

Children celebrated the Reading Day and Week in schools where they and teachers read school books, newspapers and stories to their peers, teachers and parents, thus enhancing their interest in reading. Children also participated in sessions for representing stories in different forms using folk and performing arts.

Other festival highlights include:

Story Time – Participating children get the opportunity to read books and stories which they have written themselves to an audience of children, parents, teachers, development workers and eminent writers of children’s books.

Story Busters – The children review and rewrite popular picture books and stories by purging them of the gender and social stereotypes. In doing so, the children are able to improve their knowledge and perception towards gender equality and inclusion.

Big News by Young Minds – Young aspiring journalists from the field write and communicate on the Children’s Literacy Festival thus promoting child led advocacy towards changes in children’s literature and story books.

Charter by the Children: The Festival culminates in a “Children’s Declaration and a Charter of Demands by Children” to the government, school system and larger civil society.

About Plan India

Plan India is a nationally registered not for profit organisation striving to advance children’s rights and equality for girls, thus creating a lasting impact in the lives of vulnerable and excluded children and their communities.

Since 1979, Plan India and its partners have improved the lives of millions of children and young people by enabling them access to protection, quality education and healthcare services, a healthy environment, livelihood opportunities and participation in decisions which affect their lives.

Plan India is a member of the Plan International Federation, an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. Plan International is active in more than 70 countries.

As a not for profit organisation committed to the cause of children, especially girls and young women, Plan India strongly condemns all forms of gender based violence particularly towards children. The protection of children, especially the girl child is at the very core of our work. We also ensure our active participation in civil society forums that engage with law enforcement agencies on safety and protection of children and young people. Plan has worked with different child protection agencies to strengthen the system, with specific interventions on child trafficking, child marriage, female foeticide, juvenile justice and child sexual abuse.

The rising incidence of rape and sexual abuses committed against children and women, highlights once again the pressing need for stricter measures and safeguarding laws and policies towards creating protective safety nets as well as redressal systems for young children, girls and women in India. NCRB (National Crime Record Bureau) has expressed in its report that there is a sharp rise in the child rape cases. According to the NCRB data for 2016, incidents of rape of children have increased by over 82%, in reference to 2015. It further shows that in 2015, 10,854 cases were registered across the country and in 2016, it increases to 19,765.

On the recommendation of Justice Verma committee in 2013, several changes has been brought in the legal system of our country which has improved the conviction rate, as well as, provided support to the victim. If we look at to the conviction rate under POCSO, it is 29.6% (NCRB, 2016) but along with it, there are almost 90% (pendency rate) of the registered cases which are awaiting trials in the court. Thus, there is a need to strengthen the judicial system by provisioning for special courts, as suggested by the Verma committee.

India’s commitment towards the international covenants such as CEDAW (Convention on Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women), UNCRC (United Nations Convention on Child Rights), and strong constitutional framework demands action from the government to ensure the protection of children. As a signatory to these conventions and pioneer in bringing some, it is our duty to adhere to the standards that we have agreed in front of the international community. Also, we have committed under SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) to eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation (SDG:5.2). Thus, this is becoming imperative with our rising economic proves, which should be for the welfare and protection of our citizens.

Recent changes in the rape law has further improved its effectiveness by enhancing the punishment and completing the justice within a time bound period. We welcome these efforts by the government but also want to make submission, that along with the law, there is also a need to improve the implementation of provisions, schemes and services, which are meant to support the victim. Legal Services Authority, ChildLine, Special Juvenile Police Unit, Child Welfare Officers, Child Welfare Committees etc. should work in tandem with spirit of law. These are support for victim on ground and the law will only exist to the extent, it is available to the victim. Nirbhaya Fund also need to be availed to improve the security of girl child and women in public spaces.

Based on our long standing experience of working on the issue of child sexual abuse, we urge the government to take certain immediate measures towards further strengthening the system and enforcement of the law:

We request our Judiciary, legislature and executive to ensure,

• That the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO Act) is only law which is encompasses range of child sexual abuse with the children and all the states should implement the law, in letter and spirit.
• For strengthening the training mechanism of lawyers, judges at the district level to sensitize them towards the issues related to child sexual abuse and what are the different mechanism which should intervene to support victim.
• Mandate Legal Services Authority to compulsorily train the lawyers who are in the roster to provide legal support to children. Also, to strengthen the roster of counsellor and other allied services at the district, sub-district level.
• Gender based violence to be termed as special crimes and inaction in the offence by related officials should be punished in line with the POCSO and other Code of Criminal Procedure provisions.
• Implement the recommendation given by the Justice Verma Committee in full spirit, related to support the victim.
• Child Offender Registry to be published and must be available for the public view. This registry should contain information of conviction as well as complaint.
• E-filing of Rape complaint should be promoted, which should be monitored at the state level by a senior level officer.
• ChildLine 1098 and other children related services should be made effective in India and they should act as a support mechanism.
• To strengthen the community processes which can support the victim and could act as a first line of response, in the case of abuse. Village/Urban ICPS (Integrated Child Protection Scheme) committees functioning to be reviewed and strengthen for preventive actions.

Plan India today launched ‘Free to Be’ – an ambitious real time digital data mapping project in Delhi. The web-based map is also being launched in four other major cities (Lima, Sydney, Madrid and Kampala) worldwide. It aims to uncover areas of the city that are safe and unsafe for girls and young women and is an outcome of a joint collaboration between Plan International, CrowdSpot and Monash University in Australia.

By logging into delhi.planfreetobe.org, girls and young women in Delhi can use the app by dropping a purple ‘good’ pin on areas of the city they enjoy and an orange ‘bad’ pin on the precise locations where they feel unsafe or uncomfortable. They can then provide a description about why they like or dislike that part of the city, including details about any incident they experienced there. All responses are anonymous.

The map will remain open for entries for six weeks until May 31, 2018. The data will be collected and analysed by researchers from Monash University, to provide valuable insight into what makes a city safe or dangerous for girls.

Plan India, Executive Director, Bhagyashri Dengle, speaking about the launch said, “Free to Be map builds on the success of Plan India’s Safer Cities for Girls programme that empowers girls living in cities to have their say about the issues that matter to them. The outcome of the Free to Be project will enable Plan India to strengthen its programmes and we are optimistic that inputs from it could also go into the robust smart city programmes that are initiated and led by the government.” Adding onto it, Ruchi a member of Safer Cities for Girls programme shared, “Understanding what makes us feel safe is vital. There are stigmas attached to girls’ safety and no girl willingly shares her experiences, so it is important to have such tools as it provides us an opportunity and the strength to participate and inspire other girls as well.”

The global launch follows a successful pilot of the ‘Free to Be’ map in Melbourne in 2016, where more than 1,300 young women shared their experiences of city safety ranging from street harassment, such as cat-calling and menacing behaviour to sexual assault.

Dr. Nicole Kalms, Director of the Monash University XYX Lab in Melbourne, Australia, will lead the data analysis from the five maps. She says crowd-sourced real time mapping provides evidence that girls and women often need to negotiate sexual harassment and unwanted attention when navigating their city streets. “This research will allow Plan fraternity to advocate on behalf of young women and girls so that their voices are heard by key decision-makers in architecture, urban planning, government and public transport,” Dr. Kalms said.

Links to Media Coverage

• http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/plan-india-launches-free-to-be-an-online-city-safety-map-for-girls-and-young-women-118041700511_1.html
• http://www.ptinews.com/pressrelease/29222_press-subPlan-India-Launches-Free-to-Be—an-Online-City-Safety-Map-for-Girls-and-Young-Women
• http://ians.in/index.php?param=prwiredetail/B-57837
• https://www.aninews.in/news/business/business/plan-india-launches-free-to-be-an-online-city-safety-map-for-girls-and-young-women201804171434230001/

To accomplish Sustainable Development Goal 5 of the United Nations, which is to achieve Gender Equality and Empower all Women and Girls, Plan India, in partnership with the Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), Government of Uttar Pradesh (UP) launched ‘Bal Vivah: Abhi Naheen, Kabhi Naheen’, a 40 day campaign to re-emphasise the importance of ending child marriage and to promote Child Marriage-free Gram Panchayats in the state.

The campaign was launched by the Dr. Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Honourable Cabinet Minister, Women and Child Development, Government of UP, at her office on January 23, 2018. It aims to strengthen the commitment of Panchayat representatives, school children, Government, religious leaders and others to work towards ending child marriage. During the campaign, 127 Panchayat representatives pledged resolutions in their Panchayats to end child marriage and work towards ensuring their village to be child marriage free.

Spreading across five districts in Uttar Pradesh namely, Ambedkar Nagar, Lucknow, Mirzapur, Bhadoi/Sant Ravidas Nagar and Maharajganj and covering 243 Gram Panchayats and 184 schools and colleges, the campaign reached out to a population of over 200,000. The campaign resulted in the prevention of six cases of child marriage. It also garnered support from Mirzapur and Maharajganj district administrations, leading to the inclusion of child marriage as well as the recommendation of the campaign in the agenda of District Child Protection Committee meetings and agreement by the statutory bodies and relevant stakeholders to undergo training on child protection.

Dr. Joshi, in her message for the campaign emphasised upon the collectivisation of efforts as well as coming together of all the line departments. Complimenting Plan India and its partners on organising a successful campaign, she shared, “I am happy to see the results of the campaign. In just a span of 40 days, 127 Panchayats have pledged to end child marriage in their villages. This initiative has a lot of potential and if scaled up in right direction and with the joint partnership of all stakeholders, we can ensure Uttar Pradesh to be a child marriage free state.”

While delivering the key note address, Honourable Minister of State (Independent Charge), Department of Women and Child Development (DWCD), Ms. Swati Singh said, “This issue can only be addressed efficiently if the key stakeholders at the village level work together and create mass awareness on the prohibition of child marriage act and its implications. We would further like to utilise the recommendation collected during the campaign and would ensue that it’s being widely used.”

Other dignitaries present at the event were senior government officials from the DWCD, Panchayati Raj and Education, Members from Child Welfare Committees, Village Child Protection Committees, Gram Pradhans and Gram Panchayats, teachers and students, religious and social leaders and wedding vendors along with Government officials from districts and blocks associated with the campaign.

As a next step, learnings and recommendations from the campaign would be shared with the Honourable Cabinet Minister, Women and Child Development, Government of Uttar Pradesh for developing a comprehensive strategy to address the issue of child marriage in the state.

Plan India has been working towards the holistic development and advancement of girls for more than four decades. It has been implementing impactful and innovative programmes on education, early childhood care, youth employment, household economy and income generation that ensures children, girls and women realise their full potential and also access their rights.

As a leading child rights organisation, Plan India strive to advance children’s rights and equality for girls, thus creating lasting impact. Plan India aims to continue working for girls’ rights with a commitment to impact the lives of 10 million girls by 2020.

To mark International Women’s Day on 8th March 2018, Plan India jointly with the Delegation of the European Union to India and the Embassy of Finland on behalf of all EU Member States, reaffirmed their strong commitment to promote gender equality and empowerment of women and girls, so that they can learn, lead, decide and thrive.

They pledged to work together, and with the Government of India and civil society partners, to continue to advocate and raise awareness around gender equality, gender parity and equal access to opportunities for women and girls.

India and the EU, the two largest democracies in the world, are natural partners, diverse in cultures but united in a shared commitment to inclusive growth, democracy and human rights. During their last summit in October 2017, the leaders of India and the EU reiterated the importance they attach to human rights cooperation, including gender equality and women empowerment in all spheres of life.

India is currently the fastest growing major economy in the world and a strategic partner for the EU, which is India’s first trading partner (with trade in goods and services amounting to well over 80,000 crore rupees).

Activities included a panel discussion on ‘Women and Economic Empowerment’ with Tomasz Kozlowski, Ambassador of the European Union to India, Nina Vaskunlahti, Ambassador of Finland to India, Bhagyashri Dengle, Executive Director, Plan India along with Nisha, a member of Plan India’s Banking on Change project.

The discussion highlighted factors that inhibit women, both in urban and rural areas, from playing a bigger role in the economy. It also brought much needed focus to the most common reasons for the prevalence of gender-based discrimination in various forms, both within families and outside. The panellists also exchanged experiences and lessons learned, both in Europe and in India. Gender-based discrimination, they pointed out, begins before birth and continues through early childhood, adolescence and maturity, in the process excluding millions of girls from access to education and optimal health, besides making them vulnerable to social ills like child marriage and trafficking. Lastly, the panel also touched upon the issues of safety for girls and women, coupled with the fear of sexual harassment at the workplace, which deter a large number of women from seeking employment.

In the ten days leading up to Women’s Day, Plan India and the Delegation of European Union, together with the embassies of Finland and the other EU member States have jointly promoted awareness of the issues around gender equality and the need for wage parity through their digital platforms to amplify engagement and reach out to a wider audience. They have been working together on several initiatives including a campaign for the empowerment of girls on the International day of the Girl Child on October 11, 2017, with Indian girls “taking over” the role of Ambassadors for a day.

Plan India has been working to ensure gender equality through programmes like Samanta (wage parity), Saksham (economic empowerment) and Banking on Change (financial literacy and inclusion). The focus of these programmes is to provide financial independence to young women and enable them to transform their lives and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. The long term objective is social transformation through the creation of an environment where girls can realise their full potential.