RANGPUR, Jan 28, 2019 (BSS) – With rising public consciousness, the
extent of child marriage, dowry, repression and violence against women marked
reduction in rural areas of the northern region in last ten years.
Experts said massive awareness building activities being conducted by
government and non-governmental organisations are contributing to reducing
social curses brightening the prospect of achieving the sustainable
development goals (SDGs) timely.
Senior District Information Officer for Rangpur Humayun Kobir said the
government through various departments, organisations, Television, Betar and
Union Digital Centers (UDCs) is conducting massive awareness enhancing
publicities.
“As a result, rural people are easily getting information about child
marriage, dowry, violence against woman, repression, marriage registration,
safe motherhood, nutrition, health, sanitation and drinking water at their
doorsteps,” he said.
The District Information Offices are conducting awareness building
activities involving rural community leaders, public representatives and
religious leaders on gender issues and social curses in rural areas.
“Because of conducting massive awareness building activities by the
government, NGOs and social groups, extent of social curses is declining on
way to build a better and peaceful society,” Kobir added.
Deputy Commissioner of Kurigram Sultana Pervin said awareness enhancing
activities are being conducted at secondary level educational institutions in
rural areas along with taking preventive steps against social curses.
“Following positive impacts of motivational and preventative activities,
schoolgirls as well as upazila administrations, union level public
representatives and NGOs are stopping child marriages saving dozens of
premature girls timely from disasters,” she said.
Civil Surgeon of Rangpur Dr Abu Md Zakirul Islam said awareness building
publicity programmes being conducted by health and family planning
departments and District Information Offices have been proved very effective
in rural areas.
“The rural people are becoming aware of child marriage, dowry,
repression, trafficking, birth registrations, family planning, health,
nutrition, sanitation, pure drinking water, safe motherhood, maternal and
neonatal moralities,” he said.
Women activist and Chairman of Rangpur Sadar upazila Nasima Zaman Boby
said rural women are showing interests in marriage at mature ages with
registration, family planning, nutrition and education of their girl
children.
“Many rural women are earning better through income generation
activities and availing better sanitation and safe drinking water facilities
reducing recurrence of water-borne diseases and empowering them in families
and communities,” Boby added.
Arifuzzaman Moon, an entrepreneur at Saddyapuskorini UDC under Sadar
upazila here said many rural youths, women, adolescents, guardians, students
and pregnant mothers are visiting the UDC to have knowledge on social curses
and way-outs.
“The rural women community is becoming more aware of nutritional aspects
and producing nutritional vegetables and fruits on their homesteads and
courtyards to feed their children after getting knowledge from UDCs,” Moon
added.
Divisional Director (Local Government) Zakir Hossain said UDCs are
playing important role in achieving prime goals of building a digital
Bangladesh along with contributing to reducing social curses.
“Getting knowledge from UDCs and publicities being conducted by District
Information Offices, administrations, public representatives and NGOs, rural
people are preventing child marriage and arranging dowry-free marriages at
their own,” he said.
Divisional Director (Health) Dr Amalendu Chandra Saha said the extent of
child marriage and dowry were high and rural pregnant mothers had almost no
access to improved health care and safe delivery facilities in the past.
“By virtue of motivational activities and establishing community clinics
in rural areas, extents of social curses are reducing and pregnant mothers
delivering babies safely at their doorsteps accelerating the process of
achieving the SDGs,” he added.