India
India
India has 29 states, and is diverse in customs, traditions, and languages. It is the second most populous and seventh most extensive country in the world with a land area of 2,973,190 square kilometers and a population of 1.4 billion which is 17.7 percent of the world’s population. 52 percent of the population is male and 48 percent is female.26 Child population in India (between the ages of 0 – 18) is 444 million, while the adolescent population (between the ages of 10 – 19) is 253 million. In 2000, UNICEF estimated that there are 18 million street children in India, the highest in the world.
Although the Indian constitution states that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of persons, female infanticide and feticide is still prevalent because many families prefer having boy babies over girls.
In India, Hindus constitute 79.8 percent of the population, Muslims 14.2 percent, Christians 2.3 percent, and Sikhs 1.7 percent. Buddhists, Jains, Zoroastrians (Parsis), Jews, and Baha’is are less than 2 percent each. According to UNHCR there are 100,000 Tibetan Buddhists and 40,000 Muslim Rohingya refugees in the country. The Indian constitution mandates it as a secular state. 10 of the 28 states in India have laws restricting religious conversion. Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion is a criminal offence. Federal law provides official minority status to six religious groups: Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Jains, and Buddhists. Members of these groups are eligible for government assistance programs. There are different personal laws to those from Hindu, Christian, Parsi, Jewish, and Islamic faiths. The National Commission for Minorities, which includes Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Jains, and Buddhists representatives and the National Human Rights Commission investigate allegations of religious discrimination.
In India, the religious leaders are well positioned to raise awareness in their communities about the harmful impact of violence on children and to advocate for positive norms, attitudes, and practices to prevent violence against children in homes, schools, institutions and communities. Interfaith efforts are also important to create synergies and contribute to religious and social harmony and mutual trust among the different faiths. The ongoing partnership with the National Inter-Religious Network (NIRN) to end child marriage brings together religious leaders from Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Baha’i and Buddhist faiths. A training manual was developed, and more than 200 interfaith leaders have been sensitized and continue to participate in advocacy that promotes an end to both child marriage and the practice of chaupadi (the practice which requires girls and women to live outside their homes during menstruation).
FPCC in India
Mind-Heart Dialogue Training
The Northeast Social and Behaviour Change Alliance, in collaboration with Assam Don Bosco University, UNICEF Assam & Northeast, Faith and Positive Change for Children, families and Communities, and Joint Learning Initiative on Faith & Local Communities convened a pioneering three-day Mind-Heart Dialogue (MHD) Regional Workshop from March 19 to 21, 2024, at Assam Don Bosco University. The primary goal of this workshop was to introduce and promote the Mind-Heart Dialogue (MHD) approach as a catalyst for positive social and behavioural change across India’s Northeastern states. The workshop brought together 29 participants, including faith-based leaders, government officials, and development partners, to build capacities, develop state-wise action plans, and foster collaboration on critical issues impacting children, families, and communities in the region. UNICEF Assam & Northeast, along with Assam Don Bosco University, focuses on social mobilisation and behaviour change interventions in the Northeastern states.
This collaborative effort aimed to introduce and promote the Mind-Heart Dialogue (MHD) approach, enhancing capacities, and fostering collaboration among stakeholders to address pressing issues such as routine immunisation, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), climate change, and women’s and children’s health. The workshop facilitated knowledge sharing, skill-building, and the development of concrete plans for future MHD workshops to extend the impact of this approach beyond the initial participants and geographic scope.