ICWO Strengthens Commitment to Child Rights with NITI Aayog-AVA Collaboration

In a huge push to the child protection ecosystem in the country, Niti Aayog and the Association for Voluntary Action (AVA) have come together to collaboratively focus on the most vulnerable regions of India to protect, empower and educate children, and aims to declare 15,000 villages in 104 blocks in the country ‘Child Marriage Free’ in one year. Extending complete support, Indian Community Welfare Organisation – ICWO expressed solidarity and said that this collaboration between AVA and NITI Aayog gives them a new lease of enthusiasm and they are committed to make Salem & Chennai District free from any kind of child exploitation including child labour, child trafficking, child marriage and child abuse. Both Indian Community Welfare Organisation – ICWO and AVA are partners of Just Rights for Children, a network of over 250 NGOs working for child protection and child rights in 416 districts of the country. 

Through a Statement of Intent (SoI) signed, this collaboration will target the Aspirational Blocks in 73 districts and establish Bal Surakshit Grams -- a flagship model developed by JRC to foster communities free from child marriage and exploitation. This initiative is aligned with the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018. 

Extending complete support, A.J.Hariharan, Secretary, Indian Community Welfare Organisation – ICWO, said, “We have been working relentlessly to make our district child marriage free in line with the Government of India’s ‘Bal Vivah Mukt Bharat’. This collaboration is a huge push to our cause and we are committed to collaborating with AVA to make the district free of child marriage. 

Additionally, we will work towards strengthening the child protection mechanisms in the district as well. Together, we will ensure that all our children will have an opportunity to learn, grow and thrive." 

Under the two-year SoI, a comprehensive strategy will be implemented to empower young girls, strengthen the education ecosystem in some of the most underserved and vulnerable regions of India. Movement and marriage registers will be established at the Panchayat level across all targeted villages to monitor and prevent child marriage and child trafficking. Vulnerable and out-of-school children will be connected to education and skill development opportunities, while at-risk individuals and families will be linked to existing government social welfare schemes. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dhananjay Tingal, Executive Director, Association for Voluntary Action, said, “We are filled with immense pride and gratitude today as we take a significant step forward in empowering the most vulnerable sections of our society. With collaborated efforts, we aim to make these blocks child marriage free by the end of 2025 and set a precedent for others. This collaboration is a testament to our shared commitment to protecting every child’s right to safety, education, and dignity, and to end crimes like child marriage. True child protection can only be achieved through the collective effort of government bodies, civil society organizations, and communities working in unison across every level—district, block, and state.” 

NITI Aayog will collaborate with the state governments, central ministries and other key stakeholders at the district, block and village levels while Just Rights for Children partner will work on identifying such families, collaborate with district administration and governments, and develop a database to track the progress of every child and vulnerable family in real-time among other things.