ISLAMABAD: An Anti-Rape Crisis Cell (ARCC) has been set up at the Federal Government Services Hospital, known as Polyclinic, as part of the Tahaffuz project to combat sexual violence against women and empower survivors in their pursuit of justice and healing. According to a statement, the ARCC has technical support from UN Women and funding from the US Embassy’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL). “These facilities will serve as essential resource
Child Rights in Focus
KARACHI: The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) on 31st July 2024 supported the Sindh government’s plan to offer free breakfast /lunch and milk to schoolchildren under its School Meal Programme (SMP). WFP Country Director Coco Ushiyama called on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at the CM House and discussed the issue of out-of-school children. The CM urged the WFP to support pilot programmes that could eventually be scaled up over time. The meeting
The family says Nilan, 18, and Marwan, 16, had left home late at night, found dead in the morning MITHI: It was a horrid sight for the farmers going out in the field at dusk to find two young women hanging on separate branches of a tree in the poverty-hit desert district of Nangarparkar on 31st July. It is not unusual for people to commit suicide in the sand-swept region plagued with the oppression
ISLAMABAD: Stakeholders from various international organisations and the government reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration and accelerating efforts to combat human trafficking. The affirmation emerged during the joint commemoration of ‘World Day Against Trafficking in Persons’ in Islamabad on 30 July, wherein the emphasis was placed on protecting children and upholding the rights and dignity of those most at risk of exploitation. The event, held under the global theme ‘Leave no child behind in
RAWALPINDI: Rawalpindi police claimed on Tuesday to have arrested an issueless woman, her mother-in-law, and brother-in-law for allegedly abducting a seven-month-old male baby from Holy Family Hospital. Police retrieved the victim and handed him over to the real parents. Azeem Khan of Tarnool complained to the police that his son’s health worsened and he was admitted to Holy Family Hospital. The complainant was present at the hospital with his wife, mother, and seven-month-old son
The persistence of corporal punishment in our educational and parental systems raises crucial questions about its impact on a child’s personality. In this comprehensive study, we investigate the reasons behind the continued practice of corporal punishment and its debilitating effects on children’s growth, both mentally and physically. We examine the views of learned educationists and psychologists who have analysed this issue at its core and proposed remedial measures to curb this practice. It is
ISLAMABAD: Inter-Board Coordination Commission (IBCC), an umbrella organisation for educational boards, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), and Capital Development Authority (CDA) have joined hands to promote cricket in educational institutions and have signed Memorandum of Understandings (MOUs) at CDA headquarters on Tuesday. According to the MOU, PCB will provide technical support to schools and colleges for tournaments held every October and November. Cricket competitions will also be organised at the university
Twenty-six million. This figure has been doing the rounds in print and digital media for quite some time now. This is the total number of out-of-school children and adolescents (OOSCA) in Pakistan, the second highest in the world, according to the Pakistan Education Statistics. This number is 39 percent of the county’s population of school-going children — 5-16-year-olds. These children ought to be in school, not at home, on the street, or at workshops.
ISLAMABAD: The National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) on 29 July hosted the launch of the ‘Bolo (Speak Out) Child Marriage Communication Campaign’ with its consortium partners Unicef, UNFPA, and UN Women. This event, which aimed at raising the minimum age of marriage to 18 across the country, brought together key stakeholders to address the pressing issue of the prevalence of child marriage. Senator Sehar Kamran, in her keynote speech, highlighted the
How many of us would willingly put our children in a room with toxic air? Ideally, none. But in reality, we are guilty of, and perhaps blissfully unaware of, pushing our children towards harm’s way. The latest research shows the shocking impact of passive smoking on school-age children in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Data suggests that an alarming 95 percent of children in the two countries are at risk of developing health issues caused by
The extension of school vacations by a fortnight in Sindh – until August 14 – has triggered speculations about the actual reason behind the decision, beyond just the ongoing spell of hot weather. The media has pointed out the delay in the publication of textbooks as the prime factor behind the recent decision. However, the Sindh government’s school education and literacy department continues to dismiss these reports as biased, tarnishing the department’s well-intentioned efforts.
KARACHI: Police on 29 July claimed to have arrested a quack doctor for murdering two minor brothers after kidnapping them for ransom in Machhar Colony within the remit of the Docks police station. The police and family said that the brothers — Ahmed and Hasan, aged 8 and 10 respectively — were ‘kidnapped’ by the quack, Abdul Karim, who had planned to demand ransom from their families as he was facing financial difficulties and