National media guidelines for reporting on children ready
A national media guidelines code has been prepared to ensure the dignity, privacy and confidentiality of children are protected when matters concerning them are reported. The matter was discussed when the committee, chaired by Minister of Women and Child Affairs Saroja Savithri Paulraj, met in Parliament on September 22. The proposed guidelines seek to ensure […]
The National Media Guidelines Code has been developed to safeguard the dignity, privacy, and confidentiality of children when their matters are reported. This decision was made during a committee meeting chaired by Saroja Savithri Paulraj, the Women and Child Affairs Minister, in Parliament on September 22. The guidelines aim to prioritize children's best interests while ensuring accuracy and fairness in reporting, and avoiding unnecessary exposure of children and their families via print, electronic, and social media.
The committee also emphasized the importance of protecting the dignity and rights of children with disabilities when reporting on matters concerning them. Additionally, discussions took place on recruiting and training Tamil-speaking female police officers to bolster Women and Children's Units in Tamil-speaking regions, addressing language barriers that women and children, including in Jaffna, face when filing complaints.
The committee also contemplated establishing a centralized information system to regulate and monitor children's homes nationwide. They stressed the necessity of holding such institutions accountable for preventing violence against children. Furthermore, the committee touched upon issues surrounding mothers with children under five years old leaving the country for foreign employment, with a technical committee expected to finalize the matter.
Plans are underway to introduce a program to reimburse educational expenses for children of overseas-employed women, and to establish common standards for all preschools by 2027. The committee also focuses on creating a unified training and certification system for preschool teachers and addressing infrastructure shortcomings in preschools.
Moreover, they aim to expedite the issuance of judicial medical and Government Analyst's reports to reduce delays in child abuse trials, tackle staff shortages at the Attorney General's Department, and set up a specialized system for swift hearings of child abuse cases. Lastly, legal amendments to ban corporal punishment against children were deliberated upon, with participation from Deputy Minister of Women and Child Affairs Dr. Namal Sudarshana, other Deputy Ministers, MPs, and officials from the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs.
Written by urgent.news from The Island Sri Lanka's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
