Catholic Church In Bangladesh Welcomes Child Safety Initiatives

September 24, 2022196 views0

Catholic Church In Bangladesh Welcomes Child Safety Initiatives

2022-09-24T14:56:02+01:00

By Church News

The Catholic Church in Bangladesh has welcomed a government initiative to better protect children by recruiting 6,000 new social workers, bringing the workforce from 3,000 to 9,000.“I applaud the government,” Father Liton Hubert Gomes, secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Justice and Peace Commission told the media while referring to the announcement made by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina emphasizing the importance of making child protection services available in the community level.Hasina was speaking at the first-ever “National Symposium on Child Protection in Bangladesh” jointly organized by UNICEF and the European Union in the capital Dhaka.“The aim of our government is to build a professional social services workforce that enhances efficient delivery of child protection services such as Child Helpline 1098, Child Protection Allowances, and community-based outreach services involving volunteers, adolescent children, and community people so that no child is left behind,” the prime minister said in a video message.There are currently 3,000 social workers working for the protection of children.Hasina’s announcement to recruit 6,000 more is seen as groundbreaking as a national household survey revealed that 45 million Bangladeshi children under the age of 15 are regularly subjected to physical and psychological violence at home.Catholic Church authorities have assured their support and assistance to the government.“Hiring social workers is only part of the process. We will also need to organize social movements and awareness programs on child protection. The Catholic Church is already working to protect children through such programs,” Gomes said.The Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference has been engaged in creating awareness among parents, teachers and other staff at various schools and colleges run by the Church since 2019.The Ministry of Social Welfare of Bangladesh runs two programs, the Child Sensitive Social Protection and Services for the Children at Risk, under which it runs six drop-in centres for street children and four emergency night shelters, besides 20 child-friendly spaces and five open-air schools.ALSO READ Christian Children’s Charity Welcomes Universal Basic Income Trial In Wales