SHARJAH, 23rd April, 2020 (WAM) -- Members of the Sharjah Children Parliament, organised by Sharjah Children, and the Sharjah Youth Parliament, organised by Sharjah Youth and Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah, called for stepping up efforts to ensure children and the youth in Sharjah are protected from abuse.
The suggestions were made during a joint closing session of the two parliaments on Wednesday held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, wife of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah and Chairperson of Rubu’ Qarn Foundation for Creating Leaders and Innovators.
Held virtually on a video conference platform to discuss child abuse issues and concerns, the session hosted Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police; Dr. Jassim Khalil Mirza, Chairman of Sharjah Social Workers Association; Fawzia Hassan Ghareeb, Assistant Under-Secretary for Educational Operations Sector at the Ministry of Education, and Faisal Al Shimmari, Founder and Chairman of Emirates Child Protection Association.
Members of both parliaments presented their suggestions to the participating officials directly. Some members inquired about the impact of the UAE’s child protection law (Wadeema’s Law) in reducing child abuse, while others called for involving schools and teachers in child protection by developing curricula to generate awareness.
The young members emphasised the need for a dedicated child protection expert in every school and public place, in addition to levying fines and a criminal penalty on violators.
The children and the youth also suggested dedicating a day to raise awareness about abuse against differently-abled children, besides conducting workshops on how to support students with disabilities and become advocates for their rights and safety.
Major General Saif Al Zari Al Shamsi pointed out that Sharjah’s children and youth live in an environment which ensures that their safety and rights are fully secured, given that all of the emirate’s child entities are working together to translate the vision of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and the directives of Sheikha Jawaher, to turn Sharjah into a leading child-friendly destination.
Dr. Jassim Khalil Mirza said, "Child protection starts at home and awareness creation must be a top consideration while raising children. There are many awareness programmes and initiatives that target children and youth. The Ministry of Education recruited 44 child-protection expert social workers who were trained by the UNICEF and have judicial authorisation in 17 schools."