From the very beginning of the pandemic and the measures against COVID, our concern was children and vulnerable groups, said the President of Parliament at the press conference of the Office of the Commissioner for the Protection of Children's Rights to present the results of a report on the impact of the measures taken to contain the pandemic on children's rights.
In her address, Anita Demetriou said that we have seen how we need to protect children from the impact of the pandemic, particularly the mental health effects of incarceration and the drastic changes in children's daily lives and habits. Thus, he continued, in addition to measures against the spread of the virus, the government and civil society (NGOs and other actors) sought to limit the impact of the pandemic through online meetings, preparation of materials for parents and teachers and recommendations on the psychology of children. Parents, he added, but also teachers often went above and beyond to offer what they could to their children, pupils and students as they were forced to transition directly to the digital age and new reality.
"Nevertheless, experiencing the unknown, since for all of us it was an uncharted path, we have to admit that mistakes were also made."
"Nevertheless, experiencing the unknown, since for all of us it was an uncharted path, we have to admit that mistakes were made. Decisions, she said, often failed to protect children from being over-informed about the virus, misinformed, especially with unfiltered news about the consequences of the coronavirus, with the result, according to the report of the Commissioner for Children's Rights, that their physical health, their mental health, their right to education, their standard of living, their right to play, the institution of the family and political rights were affected.
"It is a negative note and a tragic finding that there has been an increase in femicide, particularly during incarceration, with both women and children as victims. In addition, the principle of children's participation in matters concerning them was neglected and the right of access to information was often violated or completely adapted to the needs of adults."
The impact assessment prepared by the Commissioner for the Protection of Children's Rights, the President of the Parliament pointed out, records the views and feelings of children about what we have experienced and are still experiencing. She thanked her for the report, "so that we can improve processes, understand the true dimensions and impact of the pandemic particularly as it relates to children and in light of these challenges and realities, make legislative or other adjustments."
We need to realize that the methodology and surveys used with children, young and young, elderly people reveal realities and aspects that we may not have been aware of and therefore can only be described as valuable and important, said Demetriou, saying that it is the obligation of the Parliament as an institutional body to evaluate and use this information in a beneficial way.
Source: CNA
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