Yadadri-Bhongir: Snehitha equips girl students to protect themselves

The students were also made familiar with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other laws meant for their safety and security.

Yadadri-Bhongir: The district administration’s initiative ‘Snehitha’, which aims at creating awareness among girl students on their own safety, is yielding good results in Yadadri-Bhongir.

In the first phase of Snehitha, awareness programmes have been conducted in 238 high schools by 38 teams, educating girl students on the ‘good touch-bad touch’ concept, the availability of the Child Help Line facility, self-protection and the importance of education. The girl students were also educated on how to react when they face harassment on social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook and others.

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The students were also made familiar with the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and other laws meant for their safety and security.

Speaking to Telangana Today, district Collector Pamela Sathpathy, who designed the programme, said zero tolerance against harassment against girls would result in deterring miscreants from inhuman acts. There was a need to sensitize girl students, particularly on the ‘good touch-bad touch’ concept and how to react when they face harassment. It would make girls resist strongly or complain to officials without hesitating when somebody misbehaved with them.

”Snehitha is aimed at creating awareness among girl students to develop an instinct to realise if anybody is moving with them or approaching them with bad intentions,” the Collector said.

The second phase of Snehitha would be taken up in the last week of January for four days covering 251 primary schools. About 76 Snehitha teams with Anganwadi teachers were formed to take up the second phase of Snehitha in the district. Each team would consist of two anganwadi teachers and officials of the Education department, ICDS and Agriculture department, she added.

District Child Protection Officer Saidulu said they had designed awareness programmes for the second phase in a different manner as the target group was girl students of high schools. More focus would be laid on educating them on the laws including POCSO Act, which were brought by the government for their safety and security.

Stating that first phase of Snehitha gave good results, he said 10 to 15 girl students came out and complained to Child Line when they faced harassment on social media platforms. This was on account of the awareness created through Snehitha, he said.

Nintey percent of cases of minors who eloped and got married in the district, had met the men through Instagram.

“In the second phase of Snehitha, we will educate girl students on precautions to be kept in mind while using social media and the ill effects of under-age marriages,” he added.