CHILD PROTECTION

OFFICER
job Description

Supervises the implementation of SC Child Protection activities at Union Councils

level ensuring appropriate coordination with other sectors

Supervises the Community Mobilizers/Facilitators in X Child Friendly Space

locations by visiting Child Friendly Spaces on a regular basis, ensuring that
activities are implemented in an appropriate manner

Provides Child Protection Coordinator with detailed information regarding

activities on a weekly basis (children attendance with breakdown by gender and
age, activities carried out, issues affecting programme delivery, material needs
etc)

Is responsible for the proper design and monitoring of weekly work plan,
registration of children in the CFS, follow up of equipment and
identification/follow up of vulnerable children within the CFS

Provides on-the-job supervision and training of Community Mobilizers and

Volunteers

Ensures that safeguarding standards are understood and met and ensures a safe
and child-friendly atmosphere in the Child Friendly Space

Ensures that equipment inventories are up to date and that replacement needs
are highlighted

Ensures that health and safety regulations are understood and followed and that
health and safety incidents are logged

Assists the Supervisors in solving problems arising in the Child Friendly Spaces

Assisst the CFS Supervisors in working with children to develop new, creative
activities as appropriate

Ensures the participation of all groups of children, especially children who are the
most vulnerable

Assists the Supervisors/Community

community meetings

Mobilizers

in

conducting

parents

and

Ensures adherence to the Child Protection Policy and reporting procedures

Screens for and monitors protection needs and gaps in and around the Child
Friendly Spaces

Supports trainers and at times carries out training for Community Mobilizers and
Community Volunteers

THE Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly early this week enacted the Child Protection and
Welfare Act, 2010, through which various child-related offences have been declared penal
offence for the first time. The law was first introduced as an ordinance which was
promulgated by Governor Owais Ahmad Ghani on June 9, which was subsequently
extended after expiry of its three-month constitutional life by the provincial assembly on
Sept 6.

The enactment of this law was a longstanding demand of the civil society groups especially
the NGOs working on child rights. In Punjab, an almost identical law, The Punjab Destitute
and Neglected Children Act, was enacted by the assembly in 2004. The law enacted by the
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government is almost on the same pattern but with various
improvements in Punjab's law. Different government departments including the provincial
social welfare and law departments have worked for over two years to give final shape to the
law.
For the first time, the issue of privacy of child at risk has been addressed in a provincial
legislation. Section 24(1) of the law states: No report in any newspaper, magazine or news sheet
of any assessment regarding a child at risk under this act shall disclose the name, address or
school or any other particulars, which lead to the identification of the child at risk nor shall any
picture of the child at risk be published: provided that for reasons to be recorded in writing, the
authority holding the assessment may permit such disclosure, if in its opinion such disclosure is
in the interest of the child at risk.
Under sub-section (2) of section 24, a person contravening this provision should be punished
with fine which may extend to ten thousand rupees.
Although, there is mushroom growth of electronic media in Pakistan, but the provincial
government has not included the visual-media in this provision, which is considered a major
flaw.
This provision of the provincial law is almost replica of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection
of Children) Act, 2000, of India. However, in the Indian law the visual media is included in
almost an identical provision. Similarly, in India the said provision has been implemented and
there are various instances when courts had taken notice of the violation.

Another shortcoming in the law is about child protection court. Instead of establishing a separate
court for child protection, section 15 of the provincial law provides that the government may in
consultation with Peshawar high Court notify different courts of sessions as child protection
court under this act. Similarly, the high court may confer powers of the court for a local area
upon a sessions judge or an additional sessions judge.
Civil society groups believe that the regular courts have already been overburdened and
assigning them more responsibilities would not be in the interest of justice.
Apart from other important things in the ordinance, the provincial government has also expressed
the resolve to implement laws related to inhuman customary practices and child marriages.
Section 30 of the Ordinance states: Protection against child and discriminatory customary
practices shall be provided in accordance with federal laws in vogue on the subject.
Presently, the law dealing with child marriages is the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 1929, which
has not been implemented in any of the provinces. The said law defines a child as a person
who, if a male, is under 18 years of age, and if a female, is under 14 years of age. Section 8 of
the said Act provides that no court other than that of a magistrate of the first class shall take
cognizance of, or try, any offence under this act.
The recently passed law has also declared various anti-child acts as penal offences for the first
time. These offences include; child pornography, children sexual abuse, sale in child organ,
corporal punishment, child begging and child trafficking.
Following the promulgation of this ordinance, if a person is found guilty of dealing in organs of a
child he or she is liable to be sentenced to death or imprisonment for life and shall also be liable
to fine up to one million rupees. Similarly, whoever involves himself in child trafficking within
Pakistan shall be punishable with imprisonment for life or imprisonment not less then 14 years.
Corporal punishment is also now an offence punishable up to six months of imprisonment or
with fine up to Rs50,000 or both. Moreover, the offence of child sexual abuse carries punishment
up to 14 years imprisonment and fine up to Rs1 million. Similarly, the offence of child
pornography carries punishment up to seven years imprisonment and minimum sentence of three
years with fine of Rs500,000.
The law also provides for establishment of a Child Protection and Welfare Commission to be
headed by the provincial minister for social welfare. The secretaries of different departments
including social welfare, finance, local bodies, home, law and primary education would be its
members. Apart from government officials, six members would be appointed from the civil
society out of which three should be women.
Under the law child protection unit would be set up on district level and the district social
welfare officer would be its in-charge.

Legal experts believe that from time to time different laws were introduced for children in
different fields, but the same have not been implemented. They added that the present ordinance
should not meet the same fate and the government should give priority to its implementation.
Moreover, although over three months have passed since the law was first introduced as an
ordinance, but still the provincial government has not established the bodies and institutions
given in the law including the child protection commission, child protection unit, child protection
institutions and offices of child protection officers.