Child marriage prevention must for attaining SDGs

Prevention of child marriage has become a must to promote female education, in order to ensure their equal rights for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, said speakers at a views-exchange in Rangpur yesterday.

The discussion, on “Prevention of Child Marriage” was held at the Begum Rokeya auditorium of RDRS Bangladesh.

Rangpur district administration and Department of Women Affairs, in cooperation with RDRS Bangladesh and Plan International Bangladesh. organised the event.

Around 200 participants, including officials of government and non-government offices and organisations, public representatives, marriage registrars, imams, civil society members, women rights activists and professionals attended the event.

With Director (field operations) of RDRS Bangladesh Humayun Khaled in the chair, Deputy Commissioner Md Asib Ahsan attended the meeting as chief guest.

Deputy Director of the District Department of Women Affairs Kawser Pervin, Special Public Prosecutor to the Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-1 of Rangpur Advocate Rafique Hasnine, Senior Manager (Women Rights Unit) of RDRS Bangladesh Mezbahun Nahar, addressed the event as special guests.

The chief guest urged the participants to play leading roles in preventing child marriage to build a better society free from all sorts of social curses, repressions and violence against women.

“Marriage registrars, imams, union parisahd chairmen and members can effectively prevent child marriage, checking smart national identity cards and birth registration documents,” Md Asib Ahsan said.

Mezbahun Nahar highlighted the present situation of child marriage in the country, saying that the social curse shatters life of teenage girls and hinders their education.

“Early marriage leads teenage girls towards catastrophic lives, destroying their mental and physical health and future along with causing neonatal and maternal deaths in many rural areas of the district,” Nahar added.

Advocate Rafique Hasnine, in his speech, emphasised on the importance of creating social awareness to achieve proper implementation of the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017 — by involving adolescents, youths, government and NGO officials, public representatives, religious leaders and marriage registrars.

Source: The Daily Star