Prevention of child marriage has become crucial for attaining the sustainable development goals (SDGs), Reports BSS.
Government officials and women rights activists expressed the view at a meeting of the District Child Marriage Prevention Committee (DCMPC) held at conference room of the Deputy Commissioner in Rangpur on Sunday afternoon.
The district administration and Department of Women Affairs jointly organised the meeting with assistance of RDRS Bangladesh and Plan International Bangladesh for the DCMPC members.
Deputy Commissioner and President of the DCMPC Enamul Habib presided over the event moderated by Member-secretary of the committee and Deputy Director of the Department of Women Affairs Mrs. Roksana Parveen.
Member of DCMPC and Senior Manager (Women Rights Unit) of RDRS Bangladesh Mezbahun Nahar discussed negative impacts of child marriage that shatters life of girl children hindering their education on way to become worthy citizens.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Syed Enamul Kabir, Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Office Sadiya Ishraat Sumi and Chairman of Rangpur District unit of Jatiya Mohila Sangstha Rosy Rahman, among others, took part in the open discussion.
The Deputy Commissioner urged the DCMPC members to play leading role in preventing child marriage to build a better society free from all sorts of violence against women and gender discrimination on way to achieve the SDGs by 2030.
Rosy Rahman said early marriage leads adolescents to catastrophic lives destroying their mental and physical health and future side by side with causing neonatal and maternal deaths in rural areas.
She stressed on creating awareness among parents and strict implementation of the Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017 to eradicate the social curse that has engulfed backward rural people.
Roksana Parveen suggested for involving adolescents, youths, government and NGO officials, public representatives, religious leaders and marriage registrars for proper implementation of the Act.
He suggested all concerned for preventing child marriage through checking smart national identity cards and birth registration documents before registering a marriage to free the society from the menace.