Nur Center for Research and Policy (NCRP) held a Panel Discussion on Strengthening Life Skills: Building a National Movement to Promote Safety and Well-being of Children and Young People on Thursday, November 25th, 2021 at Attiq-ur-Rehman Auditorium, Fatima Memorial Hospital, College of Medicine and Dentistry, Shadman, Lahore. Dr. Murad Ras, Minister of Education for Government of Punjab, graced the occasion with his presence, as the Chief Guest of the event.
The panelists included Ms. ManizehBano, Executive Director of Sahil, Dr. Narmeen Hamid, Chair of Board of Directors at Amplify Change, Prof. Najma Najam, Pro Vice Chancellor at Nur International University, Jasmine Abraham, Educationist and Author of The Superhero is Youand Daheem Din, Family Therapist.
The session was moderated by Maha Rehman, Senior Technical Advisor and Co-Founder at NCRP and Saman Tariq, Project and Communication Manager at NCRP.
The panel discussed the importance of equipping children and young people with body protection strategies at school and at home. It highlighted the importance of parents and teachers being able to identify the warning signs of abuse and taking appropriate measures.
The panel stressed on the needfor children to be taught the concept of bodily autonomy in order to distinguish between safe and unsafe touch, at an early age. The need to establish safety nets such as referral services to qualified psychologists was also highlighted during the discussion.
This event was a part of Project Safar-e-Hifazat, a research-based project in which Life Skills Based Education (LSBE) was delivered in Government schools in Lahore to girls and boys (aged 13 to 14).