Child Rights Observatory (CRO) Madhya Pradesh has made a child friendly election agenda for elections of Local Self Government (Municipal & Gram Panchayat).
These were voices of children from its network across districts of Madhya Pradesh. The aim was to bring children issues to forefront so that candidates when elected make sure that children issues of learning, say no to violence, nutrition, child health, water and sanitation get preference and it is children first.
This was drafted in consultation with children. The Child Rights Observatory has been advocating on these issues in partnership with UNICEF. This was shared by them before panchayat elections. In bhopal the same was shared with candidates of Mayor from BJP, Congress Vibha Patel and Malti Rai.
and other parties while in rural parts it has been shared with candidates of panchayat election. In response more than 200 candidates have given them video's signed pledges to make sure that if elected they will be making their panchayat child friendly. This has been also shared with Spokesperson of political parties and MLAs who are elected to bring this to the attention of candidates.
Shrimati Sharmila Rajput, of Rohana Gram Panchayat, in Hoshangabad, who has been elected unopposed has promised to make her panchayat child friendly similarly in Datia around 55 candidates have been shared and they have agreed to make their panchayat child friendly.
In Rajgarh district one candidate has made its agenda child friendly by including the issue of education, saying no to violence, nutrition in his agenda.
Similarly, in Harda, in partnership with NGO Synergy sansthan, candidates of panchayats like Jhallar, rasalpur, urban wards are being reached by children and young people with children's agenda for change.
The NGO is getting promises from candidates to give priority to children issues like no to child marriage, getting all children in school and they are learning, no to malnutrition, child deaths and getting facilities for sanitation.
In Dhar and Jhabua young people who are volunteers with movement Youth4children in partnership with NGO and UNICEF have reached out to candidates in rural areas to make sure that children issues like school education, violence against children and women, nutrition and do nutrition audits etc.
