New Delhi, February 14, 2024: ChildFund India hosted a National Stakeholders Meet to commemorate Safer Internet Day recently. The meet brought children, parents, educators, policymakers, and industry leaders to deliberate on the issue of protecting children from online exploitation and abuse. As part of its commitment to online safety, ChildFund India highlighted its initiative “WebSafeAndWise”. The program is focused on equipping individuals with the knowledge to navigate the digital world responsibly.
Safer Internet Day is a platform to encourage children to be aware of themselves and be mindful of their online activities. It promotes responsible online behaviour and fosters a culture of respect and kindness on the internet while emphasizing the significance of navigating the ever-changing online landscape with awareness and adaptability. It provides an opportunity for diverse stakeholders, to engage in meaningful discussions, share best practices, and collaborate on initiatives aimed at creating a safer digital space for everyone with special attention to children and young adults.
In 2020 alone, 21,509 cases of online sexual exploitation and abuse of children were reported under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act 2012. The Act includes online sexual exploitation and abuse of children.
ChildFund India aims to contribute to a safer and more inclusive online space for children and youth, emphasizing a commitment to building a secure digital future for all through fostering discussions and collaboration. During the event, ChildFund India launched a webpage on children's web safety and a video to highlight the challenges and support mechanisms in addressing the issue.
From the panel discussion and speakers’ sharing, it became evident to:
- Introduce appropriate legal framework as per the legal system and culture of India and with the support of the tech companies to advance in ensuring a safer web for children.
- Instil children and youth with practices to strengthen emotional capabilities, work with the caregivers, and aware them of the online risks and being safer on the web.
- A deep dive is required to understand the issue better to explore the reasons behind the increase in online exploitation of children, and collaboration of the key stakeholders is needed to work towards the same goal.
Speaking at the event, Rajesh Ranjan Singh, Board Member, ChildFund India, said, “It is an occasion for all the practitioners to come forward together to ensure that our children are safe online too. It’s time for all of us to support the government initiatives and extend our expertise in strengthening the systems and ensuring that every child gets a safer web to learn and thrive.”
Sharing his views, A. Srija, IES, Economic Advisor, Dept. of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India, said, “The government is promoting the use of digital technology in classrooms; National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 recognizes the importance of technology in education like STEM labs, digital classrooms, digital modules, coding,etc. With the swift spread of technology, today, about 90% of the rural youth know how to use a smartphone and they are exposed to online exploitation, teasing, and bullying. I thank ChildFund India for making a beginning on this live topic which needs more attention from all of us in the coming days.”
