CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL GIRL CHILD DAY

As part of Celebrating National Girl Child Day, the Inner Wheel Club of Chennai Coral in association with IWC Chennai Thiruvanmiyur invited Ms. Gajalakshmi, Inspector of Police, Crime Against Women and Children Wing, Chennai for a speech, on 24.01.2022. The virtual session started at 11.30 a.m. with the participation of the club members, faculty members and students. The guest speaker addressed the virtual gathering on various issues faced by girl children and explained how they can protect themselves. She zeroed in on the role of parents and elders in teaching the children good touch and bad touch. She emphasized on the rights and protection laws of children and the need for educating people on them. She also addressed the psychological and physical issues and problems faced by adolescent girls. She then elaborated on POCSO (The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act). Under the act, the offences include, Penetrative Sexual Assault: Insertion of penis/object/another body part in child’s vagina/urethra/anus/mouth, or asking the child to do so with them or some other person, Sexual Assault: When a person touches the child, or makes the child touch them or someone else, Sexual Harassment: passing sexually coloured remark, sexual gesture/noise, repeatedly following, flashing, etc. Child Pornography and Aggravated Penetrative Sexual Assault/ Aggravated Sexual Assault. She further explained the Juvenile Justice Act (JJA) which pertains to provisions for children found in conflict with the law in India and for children who are in need of care and protection, Dowry Prohibition Act, Women Harassment Act at Workplace, The Protection of Women from domestic violence, etc. Followed by a Q & A session, she winded up the presentation sharing some helpline numbers for women. Participants thanked Ms. Gajalakshmi and shared that the session was wholly information and eye-opening.