Maneka Gandhi says WCD ministry can provide financial support for those working in anti-child pornography unit

New Delhi: Union Minister Maneka Gandhi on Wednesday said the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry could fund training to create experts who would work in the Home Ministry’s special anti-child pornography unit. [caption id=“attachment_3960661” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Union Cabinet Minister for Women & Child Development, Maneka Gandhi. AFP[/caption] Gandhi, while listing the achievements of her government in the last four years, said that the ministry would be funding two kinds of such trainings. “There will be two kinds of trainings one would be for specialists and the second would be for Station House Officer (SHO) and police officer training,” Gandhi said. “The Ministry of Women and Child Development can provide financial support for training to create experts who work in the special anti-child pornography unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs,” the Twitter handle of the Ministry of Women and Child Development said.

Smt. @Manekagandhibjp: @MinistryWCD can provide financial support for training to create experts in this field who work in the Special Anti-Child Pornography Unit of the Ministry of Home Affairs @HMOIndia.#SafeNet4Children

— Ministry of WCD (@MinistryWCD) June 6, 2018

Calling stopping pornography her “pet project”, Gandhi said that the ministry would also be funding and carrying out public media campaign to tell people what they do and what they cannot do. Meanwhile, a round-table event is being carried out with various stakeholders to discuss the issue of cyber crime against women and children, particularly the elimination of online child sexual abuse material and rape imagery among other steps. “It was decided to redouble the efforts in the direction of bringing changes required in the legal framework, training and building capacities of police personnel and judiciary and increasing awareness among public,” according to a statement by the ministry. She listed various initiatives taken by her government towards protection of women and children, including inclusion of acid attack as disability in Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, expansion of childline and development of forensic facilities for rape victims.