RAJSHAHI, Feb 25, 2020 (BSS)- All the government and non-government entities concerned should put their level best efforts to prevent the child marriage, said speakers at a discussion here today.
They viewed substantial and sustainable reduction of child marriage has
become an urgent need for ending violence against women and children.
To this end, responsive support from the community, especially religious
leaders, marriage-registrars, parents and influential leaders is very
important.
The observations came in a view-sharing meeting styled “Prevention of
Violence against Women and Child Marriage and Way Forward” at the conference
hall of Deputy Commissioner (DC) in Rajshahi.
Association for Community Development (ACD) under its ‘Strengthen Civil
Society and Public Institution to Address Combating Gender-based Violence’
project organised the meeting discussing ways and means on how to change the
social mindset against child marriage.
DC Hamidul Haque addressed the meeting as the chief guest while Charghat
upazila chairman Fakhrul Islam and its Upazila Nirbahi Officer Syeda Samira,
Deputy Director of Department of Social Services Hasina Momtaj and District
Children Affairs Officer Monjur Kader spoke as special guests with ACD
Executive Director Salima Sarwar in the chair.
Assistant Professor Mamun Abdul Kaioum from the Department of Mass
Communication and Journalism in Rajshahi University and ACD Project
Coordinator Monirul Islam illustrated various demerits of child marriage in
their keynote presentations.
They also put forward a set of recommendations on how to free the society
from child marriage.
The other speakers viewed prevention of child marriage could be the vital
means of substantial and sustainable reduction of child pregnancy besides
combating violations and repression against women and children. DC Hamidul
Haque observed that the role of mass-media is very important towards ensuring
a gender-balanced and equity-based society through halting all sorts of
repression and violence against women and children.