Contribution to Policies, Laws and Plans concerning Children
Enfold works with State Governments supporting with State level assessment, analysis, recommendations for improvement and support with setting up child protection, safety systems and policies.
Enfold works with SCERT and other departments to include gender equity and personal safety content in school text books and in the curriculum for college students and professional courses.
Enfold has worked with the Governments of Karnataka, Telangana, Delhi, Jharkhand, Manipur, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh
1. Policies, Laws, and Plans
– Enfold, along with other organizations worked with the Department of Women and Child Development, Karnataka and representatives from other institutions/NGOs to develop the Karnataka State Child Protection Policy for Educational Institutions, 2016.
– Enfold’s founder, Dr Sangeeta Saksena (also a B-SAFE representative) was a member of the Karnataka Government Committee to suggest amendments to laws pertaining to safety of women and children, constituted in July 2014 by the Home Department, Government of Karnataka.
– Enfold was commissioned by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of Karnataka, to conduct a study on the Implementation of the POCSO Act in Karnataka. This Study was conducted across 10 districts, interviewed 100 families who reported cases under POCSO Act and 100 police officers, over 30 medical officers, CWC members, Public Prosecutors who handled/responded to these cases. The study was released in October 2017 by the Juvenile Justice Committee of the High Court of Karnataka and other senior officers of the Department of Women and Child Development. Recommendations from the Study for improving the implementation of POCSO Act were made by the DWCD to all stakeholders.
– Enfold contributed to the development of the Standard Operating Procedures for Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012. This initiative of the Karnataka State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (KSCPCR) was supported by experts from the departments of Police, Prosecution, Health and Family Welfare, Medical Doctors, Mental Health Professionals, Support Persons, Lawyers and Forensic Experts. The SOPs were released by The Chief Justice of Karnataka and the Juvenile Justice Committee, High Court of Karnataka, on October 14, 2019 and distributed across Karnataka State.
– Enfold completed a study titled ‘Assessment of Implementation of JJ Act, 2015 and Model Rules, 2016 in Government run Child Care Institutions in Karnataka’ (2019-2020) and submitted the Final Report to the ICPS Department on October 12th, 2020. The assessment study was done in 82 child care institutions in the 30 districts of Karnataka.This project was sanctioned by the DWCD & ICPS of Karnataka.
– Enfold is currently working with the Govt of Madhya Pradesh and UNICEF, Field Office for Madhya Pradesh to develop the Madhya Pradesh State Child Protection Policy.
– In response to COVID-19 pandemic, a multi-disciplinary team at Enfold developed the following guidance notes on implementation of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s order in Re: Contagion of COVID 19 Virus in Children Protection Homes, Suo Motu Writ Petition (Civil) No.4 of 2020, by the functionaries of the Juvenile Justice System
1) Guidelines for Child Care Institutions under the JJ Act, 2015 in the Context of COVID – 19, with simple Dos and Don’ts for the Persons in Charge of Child Care Institutions, based on the Supreme Court judgement, Government guidelines and other such sources.
2) Guidance for strengthening collaboration between State Governments and Civil Society to support vulnerable Children affected by COVID-19 (29 April 2020).
3) Guidance for Juvenile Justice Boards and Children’s Courts under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, in the context of COVID-19 for consideration of the Nodal Department at State level (8 April 2020).
4) Guidance for Child Welfare Committees under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, in the context of COVID-19 for consideration of the Nodal Department at State level (8 April 2020).
These guidelines were submitted to the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India, Director, ICPS Karnataka State, UNICEF, and circulated to child rights networks across the country, as well as with NGOs working in Child Care Institutions.
2. Training of Key Adult Stakeholders – ToTs
– Telangana State Police Department – Enfold conducted Gender Sensitization programs for 195 Police Inspectors and Master Trainers who carried forward the training to over 9000 constables. in (2017).
– Enfold conducted a Training of Trainers in Manipur in collaboration with Jawahar Lal Institute of Medical Sciences (held under the aegis of the Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice) in 2018. The program trained 25 trainers on roles and responsibilities under the POCSO Act, 2012 and on Personal Safety education. Since then these trainers have been imparting training to medical officers, mental health professionals, police and judicial personnel, social workers, counsellors, teachers and journalists in this area.
3. Setting up Systems
– Enfold has helped set up 11 Collaborative Child Response Units in Karnataka, since the first one was inaugurated in 2011 in Ramaiah Hospital, Bengaluru. Medical and paramedical officers have been trained in 7 hospitals in Bengaluru and CCRUs set up in 3 hospitals. Training of medical officers in several other districts have been undertaken over the past 10 years.
– Enfold worked with UNICEF in Jharkhand to set up a Child Friendly Court in Ranchi and train Medical, Police and Judicial Personnel as well as a cadre of Support Persons under the POCSO Act, 2012. (2018-‘19).
4. Children and Youth - Education add Capacity Building
– Enfold worked with other NGOs for the Department of Women and Child Development, Delhi Government, to help develop teaching modules for children in CCIs -2014
–Worked with SCERT, Government of Telangana, with support from UNICEF office for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana, to incorporate Gender Empowerment and Personal Safety messages and information on the POCSO Act, 2012 in textbooks from grade 1 to 10. ( 2016)
– Enfold worked with Delhi Govt, Women and Child Development, Fight Against Drugs initiative to help develop material for school level sensitization of children. Enfold contributed content for life skills-based drugs and addiction awareness programs. (2017- ‘18).
– Collaborated with the National Service Scheme Karnataka to train 1050 NSS Program Officers in Gender Equity, Sexuality and Personal Safety and 500 other stakeholders with support from Hanns Seidel Foundation, India 2022
– Training of 900 Student Police Cadets, in association with Bangalore Police – 31st March 2016