Speakers at a discussion stressed on creating public awareness along with strict enforcement of the Child Marriage Restraint Act-2017 to eliminate child marriage for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs).
Officials and women rights’ activists said this at the event arranged recently in observance of the International Day of the Girl Child-2019 at Bir Muktijoddha Tipu Munshi auditorium in Kawnia upazila.
With assistance of Plan International Bangladesh, RDRS Bangladesh organised the event participated by officials, marriage registrars, religious leaders, teachers, adolescents, women rights’ activists and journalists. Assistant Commissioner (Land) of Kawnia upazila Jasmine Nahar attended the discussion as the chief guest with Senior Manager (Women Rights Unit) of RDRS Bangladesh Mezbahun Nahar in the chair.
Community Mobilisers of RDRS Bangladesh Parul Khatun and Ashraful Islam, Assistant Teachers Shahidul Islam and Shree Abhoy Chandra also spoke. Project Officer of Bangladesh Counter Trafficking in Persons Project of RDRS Bangladesh Md Abdur Rahman discussed the Child Marriage Restraint Act-2017 and policies for its implementation.
“Early marriage of premature girls leads them toward catastrophic lives destroying their mental and physical health and future along with causing neonatal and maternal deaths mostly in backward rural areas,” Rahman said. Mezbahun Nahar stressed on creating awareness among parents, guardians, community leaders and marriage registrars and strict implementation of the Child Marriage Restraint Act-2017 to eradicate the social curse.
