There is no alternative to preventing child marriage for properly flourishing talents of every female child to encourage women leadership and their empowerment in building a discrimination free society.
The opinion came at a daylong public hearing organised by Social Equality for Effective Development (SEED), an NGO, on ‘Prevention of Child Marriage and Our Role’ at LRD auditorium on Monday in the city.
The NGO organised the hearing under its Resilience through Economic Empowerment, Climate Adaptation Leadership and Learning (RECALL) project.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Dr ATM Mahbubul Karim attended the public hearing as the chief guest with Executive Director of SEED Sarothi Rani Saha in the chair.
District Women Affairs Officer Shamima Akhter Banu, Kawnia Upazila Education Officer Zakir Hossain and Advocate Nasima Begum of Rangpur unit of Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST) attended as the special guests.
Government and NGO officials, Imams, Marriage Registrars, teachers, women community leaders and activists and victims of child marriage participated in the hearing moderated by Technical Officer of SEED Sultana Afrin.
In her welcome speech, Sarothi Rani Saha narrated the grievous consequences of child marriage on the premature girls leading them to shattered lives destroying their future and increasing neonatal, maternal and children deaths in rural areas.
She discussed reasons behind early marriage that have engulfed the backward people in rural areas creating unrest in the family life and suggested for rectifying the previous mistakes by all concerned through launching a social renaissance against the curse.
Shamima Akhter Banu put importance on creating adequate public awareness about child marriage for preventing the social curse once for all from the society to create congenial atmosphere for flourishing talents of the female children everywhere.
The chief guest called for launching social movement involving public representatives, GO-NGO officials, Imams, marriage registrars, community leaders, guardians, teachers, students, civil society members and elite to free the society from early marriage.
Rajshahi BSS adds: Speakers at a community level cultural programme mentioned that social motivation and awareness is very important for substantial and sustainable prevention of child marriage and child pregnancy.
They viewed responsive support from the community, especially teachers, parents and influential leaders, has become must to attain the cherished goal. Time has come to ensure adolescent-friendly reproductive health services to this end.
Agriculture Sustainable and Socio-Economic Development Organization (ASSEDO) organised the programme locally known as ‘Gamvira’ at Madhabpur village under Fatepur Union Parishad in Nachole Upazila yesterday.
Prevention of Child Marriage through Edutainment and Communities Engagement Project initiated the event funded by Canadian High Commission in Bangladesh. More than 600 grassroots people including 150 women and 200 juveniles and adolescents both boys and girls joined the programme.
UP Chairman Sadir Ahmed and its Members Ritufa Begum, Monirul Islam and Bazlur Rahman spoke on the occasion.
Rabiul Alam, executive director of ASSEDO, said the project intends to aware community and engages general public so that they can play pivotal role in changing the social mindset on child marriage and child pregnancy.
