An alarming 50% of children in India (MWCD 2007) have experienced sexual abuse, and 182 cases are reported daily (NCRB 2022). With Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) continuing to be a critical issue across India, Arpan, the nation’s largest NGO focused on CSA prevention, launched a groundbreaking #ProtectedByPOCSO campaign during Child Safety Week in November. The year-long campaign, which is running strong, has taken a bold stand against child sexual offenders with the powerful message: Child Sexual Abuse is a punishable offense. All Children in India are #ProtectedByPOCSO. Stop Right Now or Get Caught.
Driving Impact through Scale and Reach
The #ProtectedByPOCSO campaign, named after the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, was bolstered by the support of celebrated actor Vidya Balan, Arpan’s Goodwill Ambassador, who lent her voice to the campaign and shared it across platforms. The campaign has achieved significant milestones, including:
* Achieving a reach of over 5 million through an integrated media presence, including hoardings, public transport systems such as Mumbai local, autorickshaws, Mumbai Maha Metro, BEST buses and Thane buses, and cinema theatres, OTT and social media.
* Delivering impactful and bold warning to offenders about the legal consequences under the POCSO Act as well as the social consequences.
* Educating the public on which acts constitute CSA, emphasising that such behaviour is neither acceptable nor tolerable.
* Engaging over 160 schools across five States of India to display school uniform installations along with these critical messages to show solidarity towards the issue.
Partnering for a Safer Future
With education and health among the key focus areas for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in India, the #ProtectedByPOCSO campaign provides a compelling opportunity for organizations to align their social impact strategies with a cause that directly benefits society’s most vulnerable members.
“Child protection is not just a social responsibility but a moral imperative. It’s unacceptable that thousands of children have to experience sexual abuse on a daily basis,” said Pooja Taparia, Founder and CEO of Arpan. “Behaviour change is complex, and no single campaign can bring about this change overnight. However, with more donors and corporates joining our mission, we can work towards shifting socio-cultural norms and fostering a society where every child is protected and thrives during its childhood.”
Opportunities for Corporate Engagement
We invite CSR leaders to collaborate with us and amplify such campaigns to create deeper and long lasting impact. Key areas of partnership include:
* Behaviour Change Communication Campaigns: Support integrated media campaigns and awareness drives so that we can reach more people – be it offenders, bystanders, children, caregivers or educators.
* Content Development: Support creation of localized, culturally relevant and age-appropriate educational materials.
* Technology Solutions: Collaborate on our digital learning platform to enable our free online courses to reach where Arpan cannot physically be present.
* Teacher Training Programme: Contribute towards training Government teachers across the country to create widespread change.
* Empowering children with personal safety skills: Contribute towards training children on participating in their safety and providing counselling for those who’ve been through abuse.
Join Us in Making a Difference
Together, we can turn the tide against Child Sexual Abuse and build a future where every child is protected and every offender is deterred. To learn more about partnership opportunities or to contribute to the next phase of the #ProtectedByPOCSO campaign, contact us at info@arpan.org.in.
About Arpan
Arpan is a nonprofit organization committed to protecting children and empowering communities through advocacy, education, and systemic change. With a proven track record in child protection, it has impacted over 18.7 million children and adults nationwide, through its programmes, driving impactful and lasting change. Arpan has a Platinum level accreditation by Guidestar which is the highest level of public accountability and transparency and is also certified as a Great Place to Work for six consecutive years. Arpan has won 8 national level and 2 international level awards for its exemplary work.
Arpan is supported by leading corporates and philanthropists of India including Bajaj Finserv, Meher and Aga Pudumjee Family Philanthropy, CAMS (Computer Age Management Services), Planetcast Media Services Ltd, ATE Chandra Foundation, Caring Friends amongst many others. It invites more CSR partners and philanthropists to join in its mission to ensure child safety every day. To know more, visit www.arpan.org.in, and to get in touch with us, email us at info@arpan.org.in.