Submission ID 118542
| Issue/Objective | The eastern region of Myanmar has been the primary location of long-term violent civil conflicts, prompting cross-border migration to Thailand. Currently, of the estimated 97,177 migrants residing along the Thai-Myanmar border, approximately 30% are children. With many lacking documentation, their susceptibility to abuse is heightened. In recognition of these risks, Mae Tao Clinic Child Protection Department implemented child protection (CP) policies in migrant learning centres (MLC), community-based organizations, and boarding houses. An interorganizational child safeguarding (CSG) policy was also established in 2020 to address these threats. Despite notable health, geopolitical, and natural disaster crises since, these policies have not undergone revision since 2020. This project aimed to conduct a community-based policy review, exploring the barriers and facilitators to CP and CSG policy implementation to investigate emerging safety needs and recommend evidence-based amendments. |
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| Methodology/Approach | Data reported here were a subset of data from a broader policy review process which also included MLC staff and child/youth focus groups. Data for this analysis were collected from six key informant interviews (KII) with implementation partners from seven organizations within the local CSG network recruited through purposive sampling. A mixed deductive/inductive approach thematic analysis was performed along a PESTEL (political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal) framework. This framework facilitates cross-cutting insights into various factors influencing implementation vulnerabilities and opportunities in a dynamic context. |
| Results | Key barriers to CSG policy implementation identified included insufficient emergency CSG provisions, amidst associated increased resource-related vulnerabilities and limited technologically-relevant policies to guide online abuse case management and safe data handling. Inadequate policy monitoring and staff comprehension of protocols has also increased opportunities for abuse and challenges in reporting. Important facilitators included interorganizational collaboration, donor influence through CP policies as funding prerequisites, and increasing social recognition of CP importance. |
| Discussion/Conclusion | Organizational CSG and CP policies in the Mae Sot community are key in ensuring migrant child and youth safety, given a lack of national Thai measures engaging with challenges unique to displaced communities. This study hopes to inform policy revisions to address emergent contexts, training, and monitoring to strengthen existing systems' ability to prevent and respond to safety threats faced by local migrant communities. |
| Presenters and affiliations | Hassait Hilawe Queen's University Arielle Baguio Queen's University (formerly) Nway Nway Oo Mae Tao Clinic Ivet Castellano Mitijans Mae Tao Clinic Thandar Kyaw Mae Tao Clinic Nay Chi Htwe Queen's University Eva Purkey Queen's University Colleen Davison Queen's University |
