The organizers of the campaign, entitled “Saudi Arabia’s First Campaign to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect,” said that they had secured official approval before its launch at the beginning of this month.
The three women organizers include Amal Al-Khalifa, a psychologist at King Faisal Specialist Hospital; Souad Al-Shammri, a lawyer; and Fatimah Al-Ansari, a children’s rights advocate.
Al-Khalifa, who is also a member of Amnesty International, said they chose April as “it is internationally considered the month of prevention of child abuse.”
To the three women’s shock and surprise, the most crucial part of their campaign, which involved lectures for parents at Sawary Landmark Mall, was suddenly stopped last weekend.
The lectures, which were to be delivered by the three women, were to be held on Wednesdays and Thursdays at the mall throughout April.
“I can’t explain what I don’t know,” said Al-Khalifa, commenting on why the lectures were stopped.
“We had found a sponsor, who agreed not only to give us their auditorium located in the mall for free, but would also encourage parents to attend the lectures by giving them 4,000 vouchers that could be used in the mall,” said Al-Khalifa.
However, last Wednesday the authorities ordered the group to cancel the lectures. “I don’t understand how a person could be the enemies of themselves? The lectures were meant to improve parents’ parenting methods to prevent possible abuse that mainly comes out of ignorance,” said Al-Khalifa.
She added that perhaps officials were misinformed that the group aimed to make children rebel against their parents. “Of course, that’s not the case at all,” she added.
She explained that the lectures dealt with educating parents about modes of discipline that are alternative to violence. “I don’t think that child abuse is on the increase in the Kingdom. It has existed from a long time, but was not talked openly before,” said Al-Khalifa.
However, the unexplained ban has not stopped the group from other activities, including lectures for pupils at Jeddah Prep and Grammar School and Dar Al-Fikr School.
