Understanding what your child or teen does online is vital to protecting them from digital threats.
Assistant Minister for Women, Children and Social Protection, Sashi Kiran highlighted this at Fiji's First Children For Jesus Conference at the FMF Gymnasium today.
Kiran says we live in a day and age where access to information through advanced digital technology is at the press of a button.
She says threats to children's online safety include invasion of privacy, cyber bullying, sexting and sexual harassment.
She says issues that she would not want children to go through.
The Assistant Minister says the government has fortified its commitment to child protection by ratifying the Convention on the Rights of the Child but has also ensure that we have in place legislative tools to safeguard our children.
She says government has approved the budget for the establishment of the Department of Children which is well underway.
Kiran says this is a more targeted approach to address any concerns relating to children and they currently have a Child Services Unit under the Department of Social Protection.
The Assistant Minister says to help children access immediate help in situations of abuse and neglect the government has funded the National Child Helpline on 1325 which is staffed by professional counsellors.
She has commended the organisers for bringing this event to Fiji and reaching out to the children during the school holidays as it is a great step towards nurturing their emotional and spiritual weel being.
Embassy of Hope Ministry International Ministries,Apostle Iliganoa Muranyi who organised the event says this is the first Christian conference to happen in Fiji and was part of a vision given to her a couple of years ago about the importance of the children.
Apostle Muranyi says they have some local Ministries and Churches that have come for the 3-day Conference.
She says the main thing is they want to teach the children how to hear the word of God.
