We are proud to announce the launch of the policy brief on street-connected children in Pakistan in collaboration with the National Commission on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) and UNICEF, on 21st April at Margalla Hotel, Islamabad. The event was attended by over 150 guests including activists, civil society and government officials, as well as senior …
By Founder, Madeeha Ansari. Originally published in Dawn Newspaper on March 22, 2022.WHY would children, given an option, ever want to stay on the streets?This question arose when speaking to staff from a reputable organisation in Peshawar, with decades of experience in outreach and rehabilitation for children who live or work on the streets. It …
Originally posted in Dawn newspaper on January 6, 2022. by Madeeha AnsariIN February 2021, a landmark bill to ban corporal punishment in all educational and childcare settings was moved in the National Assembly by MNA Mehnaz Akber Aziz and passed with cross-party support. The Islamabad Capital Prohibition of Corporal Punishment Bill 2021 was then sent to …
by Josh Adetunji, Projects VolunteerOn 3 and 4 August 2020, Cities for Children organised two consultations with civil society members and government titled ‘Policy Meets Practice,’ with the aim of addressing challenges faced by street children in Pakistan. The Consortium for Street Children defines street-connected children, or “street children”, as children who depend on the …
Cities for Children along with the Parliamentary Special Group on the SDGs and Child Rights organised a multistakeholder consultation on 3rd and 4th August, bringing together parliamentarians, civil society organisations and relevant representatives from human rights, social welfare and child protection. This was the last event in CfC's advocacy for street-children series, supported by the …
On 23 June 2021, Cities for Children facilitated a workshop for civil society organizations in Pakistan entitled "Change Our Story" - Understanding and Implementing UN General Comment No. 21 on Children in Street Situations. This was the second in a series of three events to forge a path forward for street-connected children in Pakistan, with support from …
On 8th May, 2021, Minahil Khan, senior research fellow at the Research Society of International Law sat down with Madeeha Ansari, the founder of Cities for Children, to discuss the state of street children in Pakistan on the fifth episode of 'The Right' podcast series. The discussion attempted to explore the challenges faced by street children, …
Originally published in Dawn newspaper on April 25, 2021. By Madeeha Ansari IN an interview for April 12, International Day for Street Children, a young girl spoke of her life with a smile. Her grandparents lived in the same abadi where she was born, and where she now lives with her uncle — who does the same …
On 12 April 2021 – International Day for Street Children – Cities for Children along with the Special Parliamentary Group on the SDGs in Pakistan held a national consultation to review policies related to street-connected children and how best to support “Access for Street Children.” The event was supported by the Consortium for Street Children, …
Originally published in Dawn newspaper on February 28, 2021.by Madeeha AnsariA VIDEO went viral recently, of a young child being brutally beaten by his instructor in a madressah-style setting. The more the little boy cried, the more abuse he got to make him ‘stop’.The source of the video was unverified so the real details will …