RAJSHAHI, Dec 17, 2020 (BSS) – Highlighting the aspects of substantial and sustainable reduction of child marriage, speakers at a press conference today mentioned men’s engagement can be an effective means of preventing child marriage.
Besides, collective efforts of all government and non-government entities concerned have become crucial to combat child marriage and child pregnancy as it’s the precondition for improvement of child and maternal health.
Media both print and electronic can play pivotal roles to attain the cherished goal in this regard.
They came up with the observation while addressing the press conference titled “Youth changemakers experiences and review findings with the media house and youth journalists” virtually.
Engage Men and Boys (EMB) Network in Bangladesh and Save the Children in Bangladesh jointly hosthed the press conference under a project styled ‘Youth Advocacy Project on SRHR for all and End child marriage from caring masculinities lens”.
Men Engage Alliance and Youth Platform for Transforming Masculinities supported the media conference.
Project Director and Gender Adviser of Save the Children in Bangladesh Umme Salma, Gender Expert Habibur Rahman, Senior Programme Officer Nurun Nahar Begum, Steering Committee Member Musfiqur Rahman and EMB Member Roksana Parvin addressed the press conference as focal persons.
National Changemaker Sohanur Rahman moderated the discussion.
Umme Salma said it seems that girls are treated as a burden to society, mostly in rural areas.
Terming child marriage as gross violation of human rights, she said children are being married off frequently, despite multifarious interventions by the government and non-government organisations concerned.
It is vital to increase awareness regarding the negative impacts of early marriage with the help of the mass media.
She said responsive support from the community, especially local administration, public representatives, teachers, parents and influential leaders, has become must to ensure adolescent-friendly reproductive health services for reducing child marriage and child pregnancy substantially and sustainable.
Ensuring equal rights on education, training, science and technology is also important to women empowerment.
Overall national development could not be possible until the children coming from the poor and underprivileged families are educated and ensured all other fundamental rights they deserve, she added.
Physical and mental development of children couldn’t be possible until they were protected from violence and deprivation.