The Girls Advocacy Alliance focuses on combating violence against girls and young women and increasing their economic participation in Khammam district. Violence and economic exclusion are closely linked. Girls massively drop out of secondary and vocational education, especially due to child marriage, sexual violence, trafficking and the worst forms of child labor. Their chance to ever get a ‘decent’ job is minimal. And vice-versa; without income and independence, they are more vulnerable to violence.

GOALS

The Girls Advocacy Alliance program has explicated four strategic objectives to eliminate violence against and economic exclusion of girls and young women, focusing on four main actors:

  • By ensuring that key leaders (traditional, religious, community) and role models of the local community promote norms and values which positively advance girls and encourage their development in society. These key leaders and role models act as champions of change.
  • By influencing civil society organisations and networks so that they advocate for the active implementation of policies that challenge girls’ and women’s economic exclusion and gender-based violence, while coordinating their interventions.
  • By advocating for more effective implementation of legislation and public policies to protect girls and young women through Government line departments
  • By getting the corporate sector committed to the elimination of violence against girls in their supply chain. The corporate sector provides access to work, safer workplaces, better working conditions for girls and young women and supports the transition from school to work for girls.

WHAT WE DO

The Girls Advocacy Alliance is addressing gender-based violence and economic exclusion of girls and young women in the following ways:

  • Capacity building of civil society organisations, specifically organisations focusing on young women, to advocate and sensitise government officials, the corporate sector as well as the general public.
  • These civil society organisations conduct advocacy campaigns in their own countries, as well as lobby regional bodies such as the African Union.

RESULTS/OUTCOMES

Dramatic changes in law and legislation, norms and values take time. However, a number of signs have been identified of significant positive changes as a result of, amongst other things, GAA activities. Some results:

  • Dramatic changes in law and legislation, norms and values take time. However, a number of signs have been identified of significant positive changes as a result of, amongst other things, GAA activities. Some results
  • Sensitized the SHG leaders, students and the society people on the importance of Women’s day and nearly 400 got knowledge about the importance of womens day, girl child education,oppurtunities /trainings available and women empowerment.
  • Productive discussions done among with the religious leaders to framed the activities and schedules for the year 2019 and Productive discussions done among with the religious leaders to framed the activities and schedules for the year 2019, Formulated the required representations of advocacy asks with concern departments for better implementation of Acts and also Framed the good strategies and approaches to influence the key department officials in prevention of child marriages and child trafficking.
  • Discussed among the CSOs to on the issues of TOP bill to have a discussion among the CSOs to have the better understanding about the sections of TOP bill, Had the review and revision and discussions among GAA alliance CSOs network on the sections mentioned in the TOP bill, Framed collaborative activities to spread the message on child / Human trafficking in the societies at their working areas and also Framed the advocacy asks and to give representations to the Rajayasabha MPs to Engage with RS MPs from strong regional parties to garner their support for the Bill – To push for passage of the Bill and not being referred to Standing Committee.
  • Organised District level 2 days comic workshop for the GAA youth Advocates By Trained youth advocates At State Level To train the Adolescent girls on the contents of the comic representation, To improve the creativity of the youth advocates in drawing the cartoons on girl child concepts and youth advocates gotten productive knowledge in drawing comics and learned the tools and techniques of drawing and abled to developed the individual comic stories on the charts and papers. They assured to use this skill to teach other school /college students and also will aware the public in the society on the girl child issues through this comic representation.
  • Organised District Level Consultation with CSOs in jointly preparing the action plan in prevention of CM,CT and promotion of SE & JOVT to have the discussions among GAA alliance CSOs network to frame good strategies and approaches to influence the key persons to improve the quality of services in secondary education of girls in their working areas, At last they have decided to organise at least 5 awareness camps in a month at communities, schools, colleges, gramasabhas & panchayats also. Preparing the representation and to make a joint advocacy action plan with the government officials and lobby with community leaders and also collaborating with the youth advocates makes much more difference and shows some impact in the society. With that they could see the pro-child and child friendly Khammam.
  • 45 government officials from different departments related to the JOVT program and all the stakeholders who are working under this stream had long discussion to bridge the gap between the skill resources and needy applicants and also all the participants shared and analysed the given points among them and they gotten productive knowledge to avail more opportunities to the unemployed, dropped out young women.
  • Organised “DISTRICT LEVEL CONSULTATION WITH THE DEPARTMENTS DLSA AND POLICE ON REVIEWING THE STATE RULES OF ITPA-1956”. The government officials from police and DLSA discussed the acts thoroughly and gave some recommendations on Acts and also interacted well assured the coordination and cooperation for the better implementation of the Acts for the best interest of the girl child in Khammam district.
  • Organised District level consultation with CWC, Police, Judiciary, Panchayat raj department on effective implementation of trafficking bill, to discuss among the Judiciary, Government officials, CWC members, Police on the issues of TOP bill to have a discussion among them to have the better understanding about the sections of TOP bill. Nearly 50 police personnel and other line department officials attended the program and actively participated and clarified some of the doubts in dealing with the trafficking cases and got productive information about the sections of ITPA-1956.
  • Organised District level meeting between youth advocates, CMPOs, religious leaders, Police personnel, Education, CSOs and Panchayat representatives to initiate action towards creating Pro child Panchayats, The participants from Education, CMPOs , line departments & youth advocates identified the reasons of dropouts and frame suitable solutions to 1oo percent enrolment of children in every village at all mandals of the district, The Youth advocates and religious leaders & line department officials make out collective action plan for effective implementation of PCMA, CRMA & ITPA, the Government Official from Education, CMPOs DWD&CW, Panchayath raj and other line departments take all measures to 100./. Enrolment of children in schools and also conduct activities at root level to attain pro-child villages at Mandal & district level.
  • Organised Exhibition of comics by Youth advocates on observation of world youth day. This exhibition could influence nearly 800 the participants ( Students from different schools , colleges, Nehru yuvakendra club members & line department officials , public from nearby places of Khammam) will get aware and gets productive knowledge on child marriages and child trafficking through unique way of comic presentation, The participants from youth advocates, Students, public and Official of the Government Departments are in a position to identify the challenges in creating youth advocate networks & pro-child villages in all mandals of the district.
  • Organised Interface between youth advocated with Government line departments responsible for implementation of PCMA and CRMA, The participants from Education, CMPOs , line departments & youth advocates identify the reasons of implementing PCMA & CRMA, The Youth advocates & line department officials make out collective action plan for effective implementation of PCMA, CRMA & ITPA, The Government Official from Education, CMPOs DW&DCW, Panchayat raj and other line departments take all measures to implement the Acts of PCMA & CRMA
  • District level consultation with GAA CSOs on developing strategy paper in addressing the issue of school dropouts amongst girls there by addressing the issue of CT and CM, CSOs had the discussions among GAA alliance CSOs network and framed good strategies and approaches to influence the key persons to improve the monitoring mechanism, CSOs network discussed and prepared action plan of activities to be done and also framed the procedures to attain the economic inclusion of girls through improving the JOVT courses in their working areas for drop out young women, Prepared strategic paper through the outcomes & the current GOs & rules, provisions for better implementation of the secondary education system in prevention of child marriages.
  • District level workshop with the education department on improvement of service and accessibility for girls to secondary education. The government officials sensitized by advocating with them to improve the quality of education, Infrastructure & other facilities in the schools in the next consultation, Focused & rational discussions made and the government officials influenced to take necessary actions for improve the quality of education, Infrastructure & other facilities in the schools.
  • Religious Leaders conducted awareness camps, Advocacy actions (representations) and distributed IEC material.
    1. At schools – 3
    2. Communities – 29
    3. Religious Places- 15
    4. Slums – 9
    5. Public places – 3
    6. Block level meetings – 3
    7. Function Halls – 5
    8. Festival Mandapams – 14
    9. Shadi Khanas – 4
    10. Trainings attended – 4
    11. Representations – 8
    12. Circulars – 3
    13. Institutions visited – 2
    14. Youth clubs – 4
    15. Press coverage – 10 (approx.)
    16. Wall paintings and standard boards – 4
    17. Approximately 800 people were awared by the Religious leaders
  • Youth Advocates conducted awareness camps, Advocacy actions (representations), Rallies, campaigns and distributed IEC material
    1. At schools – 27
    2. Communities – 22
    3. Religious Places- 10
    4. Malls – 6
    5. Slums – 15
    6. Public places – 13
    7. (market, bus stand, and railway station)
    8. Rallies – 7
    9. Function Halls – 6
    10. Street plays – 7
    11. Poster campaigns – 17
    12. Door to door campaigns- 12
    13. Signature campaigns – 6
    14. Youth clubs – 18
    15. On wheels (train/ busses)- 7
    16. Representations – 8
    17. Circulars – 1
    18. Training attended – 7
    19. Press coverage – 17 (approx.)
    20. Awards – 9
    21. Comic conducted by them – 6

Government officials conducted awareness camps

  • RPF CI conducted district level line departments convergence meeting in the prevention of child trafficking
  • DLSA Secretary conducted district-level review meetings with line department members on the status of CM, CT.
  • District level meetings to the MEOs and HMs on the accessibility of availing secondary education by DEO

DWO conducted district level meetings to the Panchayat secretaries.

INNOVATIVE ACTIVITIES / PRACTICES

  • Working with photographers unions in prevention of child marriages.
  • Associating with lorry and auto unions and nearly working with 15000 drivers and cleaners.
  • YAAH IN MALLS: Creating awareness in malls about the consequences of child marriages by youth advocates and GAA CSOs network representatives.
  • JIT (JUST IN TIME): Creating awareness in buses about the child marriages by the youth advocates and GAA CSOs network.
  • GAA with train passengers: Sensitizing the people travelling in trains by the youth advocates and GAA CSOs representatives in prevention of child trafficking.
  • Counters in Function halls: Arranged GAA counters and sensitized the public (1200 people) about the consequences of child marriages by the CSOs and youth advocates.

Achievements of GAA in 2019

  • On 17-07-2019 night by 7 pm we got a call from RPF & GRP saying that they have gotten information about the suspicious group of children (29) traveling from Chennai to Madhya Pradesh by Nava Jeevan express. They immediately informed the CHILD LINE & GAA team Khammam.
    We (child line & GAA team & GAA CSOs network MWO, ARADM, SECURE) rushed immediately to the Railway Station, Khammam and rescued 29 trafficked victims from Nava Jeevan express. Total 29 children in that 13 are girl children. The next moment informed all the line department officials and media.
  • On 06-11-2019 Mr. Niranjan & Mr. Sadiq pasha given representation to Mr. Thafseer Iqbal City police commissioner, Khammam to establish AHTUs Anti human trafficking Units in Khammam district
  • On 27-09-2019 Mr. Neil Kumar , Kiran, Ramarao & Sujatha representatives of ARADM & MWO members of GAA CSOs network given representation to Mr. Anand member NCPCR (National commission for protection of child rights) for displaying the standard boards of ” Child marriages are Strictly prohibited ” at different temples and Mosques & before function halls across the district.
  • On 15-07-2019 Mr. Sriram District employment officer, Khammam instructed all the PIAs( Project implementing agencies) to establish the skill development centers across the district to the child marriage victims for their economic sustainable development at TTDC buildings, Khammam