The Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation together with its partners and stakeholders are all preparing for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (PCAN) campaign in November with the overarching theme “Our Children, Our Future, Love and Protect Them.”

The World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect was first launched by the Women’s World Summit Foundation in 2000. The day is commemorated every 19 November in synergy with the anniversary of the International Day for the Rights of the Child which falls on 20 November. The PCAN Campaign was officially placed into the Department of Social Welfare, Fiji in 2009. Prior to that, the Pacific Children’s Program’s staff used to highlight the day as ISPCAN (International Society for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect) with activities organised with communities and some of the schools as part of their community awareness programs.

With the goal to sustain these special days for children, invest in prevention and to support and strengthen the initiatives already in place by non-government organisations, the Fiji/UNICEF Annual Work Plan incorporated the commemoration of the day by adding the use of Blue Ribbon.

The story of the Blue Ribbon Campaign originated in Norfolk, Virginia in 1989. Bonnie Finney a concerned grandmother whose grandson died as a result of child abuse took the stand for the prevention of child abuse by tying a blue ribbon antenna of her car. She chose the blue color to remind herself and community of children who are battered and bruised from child abuse. 

On 30^th June, 2010 Cabinet also endorsed the Child Protection Baseline Research and agreed to the wide distribution and use of the Report; that implementing partners use the Report in planning activities, programs and policies including budgetary provisions to effect the recommendations of the Child Protection Baseline with the relevant ministries and that the Ministry of Social Welfare, Women and Poverty Alleviation as NCCC Secretariat coordinate the progress of the recommendations contained in the Baseline Report to ensure achievements of targets by 2012 when the End line Research is completed.

The main commitments and recommendations already in place within the Department include:

• Annual Corporate Plan 2011
• Fiji/UNICEF Resource Results Based Framework 2008-2012
• “Protect Me with Love and Care” Child Protection Baseline Research Findings, 2008
• Fiji Communications For Social Change Plan 2010-2012
• Fiji/UNICEF Multi Year Work Plan
• Child Protection Intervention Guide - A resource Tool for Welfare Officers