Speakers in a school level film-show meeting observed that concerted efforts of all concerned including teachers, students, parents and leaders of influence is very important to ensure safe schools for girls to make them worthy citizens.
They viewed ensuring safe schools for the girls through combating all sorts of violence especially sexual harassment against them is a very crucial issue for boosting skilled human resources coupled with women empowerment. Sexual harassment at public places restricts girls’ rights to education, rights to mobility and rights to freedom. So, the social crime must be uprooted through forging social movement. Gender-sensitive social mindset can help establish rights of the adolescents through reducing violence and repression against them, they added.
The observations came at a discussion yesterday after screening a documentary titled ‘Revolutionary Optimist’ at Fatepur Girls High School playground under Mohanpur Upazila in Rajshahi.
The Hunger Project Bangladesh (THPB), organized the programme in association with its ‘Campaign for Safe Schools for Girls ‘and ‘Her Choice Programme’.
Among others, schoolteacher Jeker Ali, THPB Area Coordinator Subrata Paul and Youth Leaders Jewel Rana and Shaker Ali addressed the meeting as resource persons.
During his discussion, Subrata Paul, highlighted the aims and objectives of the event and sought all-out cooperation of all quarters on how to prevent and resist sexual harassment and all other violation against girls. “We need to establish social networks and alliances involving government and non-government organisations, community people, civil society and media to reach this goal,” said teacher Jeker Ali.
He also viewed that the mass-media has a pivotal role to play to create awareness among the general public through objective reporting. Terming the child marriage as gross violation of human rights he said there is no alternative to checking it substantially.
