A refreshing meeting to support the group for the abandonment of negative social norms convenes
Sennar /The Citizen
As part of a package of activities carried out by UNICEF within the framework of supporting the abandonment of negative social norms, child marriage, and female genital mutilation, the Child Welfare Council of Sennar State conducted a refreshing meeting of the support group for the abandonment of negative social norms.
This group includes, in addition to the Child Welfare Council, the directors of education departments, a number of health departments, directors of social sector departments, the Family Planning Society, the Red Crescent, the Family and Child Protection Police, the Child Prosecution and Legal Aid, and the honor of the meeting was the Minister of Health and Social Development and the Director of Basic Health Care.
The meeting resulted in several recommendations, the most important of which are the provision of awareness capsules about the dangers of practicing female genital mutilation in the morning queue, intensifying awareness campaigns in schools, involving guidance counselors to carry out awareness campaigns at the level of mosques and women’s groups, increasing girls’ clubs in schools, and providing social and psychological researchers in all schools to offer psychological support services, especially regarding the effects of the war and the Rapid Support Militia on schools and communities.
The recommendations also included accelerating the implementation of an early warning program to support the abandonment of negative practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation. The meeting also recommended intensifying training courses for midwives, activating Article 141 of the Criminal Code, and suggesting the inclusion of the article criminalizing female genital mutilation in the Child Law of 2024.
The council implemented within the dialogue sessions to support the abandonment of negative social norms, child marriage and female genital mutilation, and funded by UNICEF, the council implemented dialogue sessions in the local communities in Al-Soki locality in which midwives and religious influencers were targeted, and one dialogue session included more than 27 participants, and everyone recommended the establishment of major awareness groups at the local level led by midwives and influencers in the local community .
It is worth noting that the amendment to Article 141 of the Penal Code has been approved by the Sovereign and Ministerial Councils. All amendments proposed by the National Council for Child Welfare (NCCW) have also been ratified in line with UNICEF’s vision to promote children’s rights.
This step comes after years of serious and continuous advocacy by all stakeholders, including the National Council for Child Welfare, women and children’s advocates, and donors.