Parents’ role most effective

Speakers tell seminar on stopping child marriage
Raising awareness among parents against child marriage, while addressing other underlying issues that force them to marry off their children at an early age are vital to fight the menace, said speakers at a seminar yesterday.
The seminar — titled “Parents Can Stop Child Marriage” — was held at CIRDAP in the capital, organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF).
Education Minister Dipu Moni, chief guest at the programme, said in child marriage, the entire family’s burden falls on the shoulders of an underage bride who is not ready for the responsibilities.
“In such marriages, the bride is mistreated, especially when she gets pregnant. When she comes back to her paternal home with the child, it only intensifies the existing burdens of the family,” she added.
The minister said sometimes the fear of sexual harassment of young girls prompt the parents to marry off their daughters.
“But that doesn’t solve anything. This only brings a false sense of security, for child brides are more prone to domestic violence. Parents are in a position where they can play the most effective role in battling child marriage,” added the minister.
Nasima Begum, chairperson of National Human Right Commission, a special guest at the event, said, “Child marriage deprives girls of their basic human rights. Parents have the prime responsibility to fight this.”
She urged parents to let their girls avail the opportunities created by the government at upazila levels to make them self-reliant and proposed a change in child marriage surveys, setting a specific year as a benchmark to get a clearer picture of the situation.
Taslima Yasmin, associate professor of law at Dhaka University, said, “We will raise awareness among the parents, but it is also crucial to address the limitation under which parents feel like they’re forced to marry off their child.”
“Did we ensure any support for the families? Is there enough shelter homes for girls who want to escape child marriage? We have a national action plan, but it is not clear how much of it has been executed so far,” she added.
Echoing the same, MJF Executive Director Shaheen Anam, who moderated the seminar, said, “We need to make these policies effective.”
“The longer girls stay in school, the longer will we be able to resist their early marriage. Even those already married have to be brought back to school,” she added.
The seminar connected thousands of women from across the country, who shared their struggles and sufferings caused by child marriage.
Dr Farajana Rahman, associate professor of psychology, National Institute of Mental Health and Hospital; Tahmina Haque, programme officer (gender equality), Unicef Bangladesh; Rehana Khan, senior programme officer, Human Rights and Development Cooperation, Embassy of Sweden, Dhaka; Sylvia Islam, development
advisor, High Commission of Canada, Dhaka; spoke at the seminar, among others.