The Child Rights Protection Forum is a unique forum
that is a spin-off effect arising from M.V.Foundation’s
mass mobilisation. In the process of mobilizing communities
to establish a social norm that no child should work
and every child must attend full time formal school,
M.V.Foundation enlisted the support of every section
of society. When there was a specific case of protecting
a girl child from marriage or of withdrawing a child
from the clutches of bondage, supporters of child
rights in villages formed themselves into Child Rights’
Protection Forum. In the beginning these forums were
ad hoc and got organized to sort out specific cases
of violation of children’s rights. As they became
active they felt the necessity to get institutionalized
into formal forums to protect children’s rights.
In March 2004, members of the village level Child
Rights Protection Forums from different parts of the
State of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa and Assam
got together and formed into Child Rights’ Protection
Forum at the national level.
Membership – Who makes up the CRPF?
Members of the CRPF include gram panchayat members,
school committee members, youth, schoolteachers, erstwhile
employers, women group members and political leaders.
Cutting across caste and class barriers the members
of the CRPF are the conscience keepers in the village
playing the role of spokespersons for child rights
in the community. Currently the membership base of
the CRPF is more than 80,000. Life members from the
states of Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh,
Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu are currently involved
in the campaign.
Activities
This unique institution of CRPF has now flourished
and owns up the responsibility of child rights. The
members monitor all child related institutions at
the village level, resolve problems relating to children’s
needs, ensure no child rights violations occur and
share such experiences at various forums. MVF has
conducted various training programs for the CRPF members.
This helps in building the capacities of the members
to take the movement of child rights forward.
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