All-out efforts needed to protect child marriage: Speakers

Despite various advances in the index of women's rights and empowerment, child marriage still remains as a black mark in the society. Bangladesh is facing social crisis, child marriage, along with other two major crises - natural and health disasters that are hindering girls from flourish. There are laws to prevent child marriage but it is not possible to heal this sore by only the laws. Social and political commitments and all-out efforts of all are needed to fight against this social problem. If the government, media and development organizations work together, the black spot like child marriage will gradually disappear from the chest of the society.

The speakers came up with the observations while addressing a digital dialogue entitled 'How much we are prepared to prevent child marriage during Corona and disaster'. The Daily Samakal and Manusher Jonno Foundation jointly organized this virtual dialogue on Tuesday moderated by Mustafiz Shafi, acting editor of the vernacular daily. State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira MP, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Women's Council Maleka Banu and Executive Director of the Manusher Jonno Foundation Shaheen Anam took part in the discussion.

At the outset of the dialogue, Mustafiz Shafi said that despite positive and exemplary progress in policy and structural aspects on the issue of women's rights and empowerment, child marriage has remained a dark lane in the society. They are combating natural and health disasters as well as 'child marriage'. But it is seen that serious violence against women, such as rape, has not stopped during Corona pandemic. These are not isolated incidents. The incidents of rape are a continuation of the multidimensional violence against women in our society. Samakal is always vocal about these inconsistencies in the society. Samakal has recently organized two more dialogues on child marriage focusing on the causes of the increase in child marriage during the Corona time and how social resistance can be made in this regard. This is the third dialogue in a row. However, it is needless to say what kind of change of the situation has come in the last one month. While we are having this dialogue, the whole country, including the capital, is still vocal against the rape and oppression of women. The second amendment to the 'Women and Children Repression Prevention Act' was finally approved by the cabinet on Monday and an ordinance was also issued on Tuesday in the absence of a parliamentary session. However, only the laws are not enough but proper enforcement of the laws is required.

Mustafiz Shafi, the acting editor of The Daily Samakal, said now the Prime Minister of Bangladesh and the Speaker of the Parliament are women. Women have crossed a long way. Despite having much progress, child marriage has been a wound for society. Due to child marriage, girls are not able to flourish themselves. He said the law alone will not help heal wounds like child marriage as both social and political commitment is necessary to prevent it. The government, media and development organizations must work together to thwart child marriage. Samakal will always work in solidarity with all kinds of social movements on the burning issue of women's rights.

Taking part in the discussion, State Minister Fazilatun Nessa Indira said when a woman will get marry, how many children she will have - this decision is a general right of women. Girls are deprived of this right due to child marriage and for this they are deprived of education, employment. If a girl gets married at a young age, she will have a baby early, which is risky for both mother and baby. Besides, the risk of death is high. She mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has promised that there will be no child marriage in the country by 2041. The Prime Minister is a woman-friendly leader. So, she immediately directed the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs to amend the law soon after the demand for maximum punishment for rape was raised. At the UN General Assembly, the Prime Minister has promised to ensure the presence of half of women in the workplaces. Her statement will be a Magna Carta for women's empowerment.

Fazilatun Nessa Indira said the government is working to prevent child marriage. The laws in this regard have been reformed. Anti-dowry work is going on. There is a national helpline to prevent child marriage. Nine lakh calls have been made during Corona time. There are also apps on these issues. Adolescents are being organized at every union level. The mobile court is working 24 hours a day to prevent child marriage as in many areas, parents marry young girls at night so that none can trace it.

Describing the steps taken by the government for the development of women, the state minister said the government has taken various steps to increase the number of educated women. Financial assistance is being provided to keep women in education. The ministry is working with the local administration. She said the Prime Minister has been internationally acclaimed and awarded various prizes for the progress in women's development and women's empowerment. The state minister further said when the whole world is stunned by the Corona situation and there is a scarcity of jobs and income has decreased then the violence against women has increased. Citing UN figures, she said child marriage had increased by 20 per cent during the Corona period. She said many expatriates have returned to the country during Corona period and they are getting married. The demand for expatriate bridegroom is high in the society. Due to maintaining hygienic rules, the cost of marriage is less at this time and for those reasons, child marriage has increased during Corona pandemic.

Fazilatun Nessa said child marriage also depends on family and social culture, which needs to change gradually. We have to work to change human nature. She said it is not possible to prevent child marriage with the help of only the government, administration and law enforcement agencies. All of us, including religious leaders and grassroots influential people, need to work together to raise awareness. We have to conduct research in this regard and then it will be possible to bring down the rate of child marriage to zero by 2041, the goal of the government.

Responding to a few questions from other negotiators, the state minister said a committee has been formed to prevent violence against women in educational institutions. Separate washrooms are being built for girls, and sanitary napkins are being provided free of charge. In this case, the NGOs also have to come forward.

Maleka Banu said as they are talking about equality, prevention of violence, and empowerment of women, so child marriage cannot be accepted anyway. The country has made a lot of progress; it has advanced in social indicators but at the same time, it is ahead in child marriage or violence against women. Our progress will not be sustainable unless violence against women is reduced. She said poverty rates have risen during the Corona period, leading to increased violence against girls or women. Every day three to four women and children are being raped. The administration and social workers have been playing a role in preventing child marriage for a long time, but this role has diminished during the Corona pandemic.

The woman leader said that all concerned, including marriage registrar who is responsible for child marriage, should be punished as fake birth registration is being used in child marriage.

Maleka Banu said that the laws on child marriage have been changed and now the field administration is reluctant to do so because the laws have been relaxed. She said the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs should play a role in preventing child marriage. They have to monitor centrally. The ministry needs to take immediate steps to implement the court's directive to prevent sexual harassment. Sanitation facilities should be arranged in educational institutions and sanitary napkins should be provided at affordable prices. Everyone, including the government, must come forward and work to change the socio-cultural values that conflict with human rights.

In his speech, Shaheen Anam said that child marriage of a girl is a major violation of human rights. This impedes her growing-up, decision-making ability. Among the countries of the Indian subcontinent, Bangladesh is ahead in many indices but lags far behind in the case of child marriage. The reason is that many in the society still think that it is better to marry girls at the very tender age because, parents pass days with insecurity for their daughters. The idea of parents - if the girl is got married early - security is ensured. It is very difficult to get parents out of these ideas.

She said the government is committed to preventing child marriage and other else are trying but this social menace cannot be stopped. She said he had stopped some 30,000 child marriages in the last five years but despite doing this, about 51 percent of the girls were married before reaching 18 years.

Shaheen Anam said it is very difficult to prevent child marriage if the negative perceptions towards women are not removed and there is a fear of safety about them. All things cannot be prevented by using laws; so people have to change their mindsets to the society and the world. Society is changing, she said, adding that women have already passed a long way; even they have marked their footprints on the Himalayas. But the thinking of a section of the society has not changed yet; their thinking is still that girls will just maintain a family inside the doors. There is still discrimination in caring and rearing of girls and boys in the family. There is no evaluation even if the garment workers spend their income for the wellbeing of the family. She said girls should be kept in school as long as possible. People have to get out of the social taboo about women's body and only then the society will be free from the wound like child marriage.