The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia officially launched the information campaign against child marriage – “Do Not Deprive Childhood” for the sixth time this year.
The opening event was held at the Bolnisi Local Museum, which was attended by Aleksandre Darakhvelidze-Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs of Georgia, Niko Tatulashvili - Head of the Human Rights Department of the Administration of the Government of Georgia, and Giorgi Modebadze- First Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Youth of Georgia. They addressed the audience and focused on the importance of the campaign as one of the main tools for child protection, asiming to strengthen the fight against child marriage, to comprehend the mentioned issue in a multifaceted way, and to raise public awareness.
The event was attended by the Governor of Kvemo Kartli region - Levan Kharabadze, the Acting Mayor of Bolnisi - Buba Gobejishvili, representatives of local self-government, the State Care Agency. Teachers and students of Bolnisi schools also attended the opening event of the campaign.
Within the framework of the event, a screening of videos prepared by the Human Rights Protection Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia was held, which are based on the stories of actual victims and reflect the harmful consequences of child marriage.
A number of important activities are planned within the framework of the campaign, including informational meetings with schoolchildren, parents, teachers, principals, school resource officers and representatives of resource centers. Meetings with students will be held both in educational institutions and in police stations as well, where representatives of the Human Rights Protection Department and local police stations will introduce the preventive measures and response mechanisms implemented by the Ministry to combat child marriage. Herewith, videos made specifically for the campaign will be shown to target groups.
At the meetings, schoolchildren will be given branded bags, T-shirts and information brochures made on the theme of the campaign as gifts.
A poster competition has also been announced for schoolchildren on the topic of the negative consequences of child marriage, in which three winners will be revealed in various nominations and will be awarded with prizes.
In addition, in order to raise public awareness and increase outreach, it is planned to send informational telephone messages to the population.
The campaign - "Do Not Deprive Childhood" has already become one of the important preventive mechanisms that helps protect children's rights and create an environment safe from violence.
