Coalition members

This platform is created by the National Coalition Advocating for Adolescent Concerns. Founded in December 2019, we comprise of 22 cross-sectoral organisations from different parts of India, working on the rights of women, children, persons with disability - on concerns relating to legal rights, public health, sexual and gender based violence, sexual and reproductive health, life skills, education and restorative justice. The coalition members work areas range from community level, to the state and national levels.

Partners for Law in Development (PLD) - SECRETARIAT (Delhi) Aarambh India (Maharashtra) Action India (Delhi) Area Networking and Development Initiatives (ANANDI) (Gujarat) Butterflies (Delhi) Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) (Maharashtra) Counsel to Secure Justice (CSJ) (Delhi) Enfold Proactive Health Trust (Karnataka) HAQ: Centre for Child Rights (Delhi) Hidden Pockets Collective (Karnataka) Leher (Delhi, Bihar) Mahila Jan Adhikar Samiti (MJAS) (Rajasthan) Mahila Sarvangeen Utkarsh Mandal (MASUM) (Maharashtra) Nirantar Trust (Delhi) New Alipore Praajak Development Society (West Bengal) Sahiyar Stree Sangathan (Gujarat) SAMA Resource Group on Women and Health (Delhi) Shakti Shalini (Delhi) Sruti Disability Rights Centre (West Bengal) The YP Foundation (Delhi) Vishakha (Rajasthan) Advocate Maharukh Adenwalla (Individual) (Mumbai)

Vision

To realise the recognition, protection and fulfilment of the best interests of adolescents in law, policies and services are commensurate with their developmental stage, evolving capacities within child rights frameworks, and involve processes respecting their participation and their right to be heard.

Mission

We seek to increase visibility of adolescents and the cross sectoral concerns relating to them, from the lens of gender, sexuality, age, health, ability, culture, caste and poverty. We have come together to advocate for recognition of the specificities of adolescents in light of their evolving capacities and contexts, within the child protection laws, policy and services, in ways that distinguish them individually from each other, and as a group from younger children and adults. We seek to advocate for intersectional preventive and empowerment approaches to overcome root causes of vulnerabilities; and prioritise restoration and rehabilitation, when necessary, over punishment. We believe that approaches adopted towards adolescents, must be sensitive to their vulnerabilities, and cognisant of the immense creativity, potential and agency that mark this life stage. In particular, we seek to prioritise attention to addressing poverty and marginalisation as these heighten adolescent vulnerabilities, including to criminalisation. In recognition of the increasing contribution of adolescents in youth collectives to social transformation, environment and climate change, we seek to ensure their participation, voice and citizenship in all matters affecting their lives.