Ward-based campaign going on of Child Protection Committee in Jaldhaka of Nilphamari on Saturday. -AA Community based child protection committee have been helping to stop child marriage from rural areas at Jaldhaka in Nilphamari. Most of the children especially girls as well as women who live in rural areas of Nilphamari district are involved in agricultural sector i.e. tobacco, paddy, wheat, jute cultivation and guardians treat it as family responsibility.
Traditionally the girl children have been subjected to different kinds of discriminations in the family, society and in the country. As a result, they lag far behind the boys in terms of health, education, nutrition and other socioeconomic indicators. This systematic discrimination and abuse have placed the girl children in precarious position. This has cast a shadow of uncertainty over the future of the adolescent girls and their contribution in the country's socio-economic development has been put under a question mark. Early marriage is one of the most vital subjects keeping behind the girls children from all kinds of development aspects. Early marriage is the single fact but affects goes beyond family to country.
In rural communities, early marriage, dowry system, and polygamy are commonly- practiced phenomena. Young girls and women are often the victims of gender oppression due to their low status in society. To avoid social pressure and stigma regarding the delayed marriage of women, parents try to arrange a marriage for their daughters at an early age.
Often these marriages are unregistered, because the parents are ignorant about the importance of registration of marriage. Thus, it is impossible to validate many marriages, and men are easily able to remarry. Dowry is also a common practice. Parents are often unable to marry off their daughters, because of their inability to pay a dowry. Sometimes the girls are married off to much older men to avoid the payment of dowry.
To protect child rights emphasizing stop child marriage community based child protection committee is playing significant role to stop child marriage. Community Based Child Protection Committee lead by respective UP member meet together quarterly and sharing success, problems and challenges they faced. Md Aminur Rahman, retired head teacher of Shimulbari primary school of Jaldhaaka upazila said that, "obviously it is a good initiative to form CBCPC in every ward level to protect early marriage. It should have done very early.
I think will able to establish rights of the child and can stop early marriage. Udayankur Seba Sangstha (USS) is working in Nilphamari district and implementing child rights project since 2006 partnership with Plan International Bangladesh. To develop capacity and skill of the community based child protection committee members USS is providing training, orientation, workshops.
-AA Correspondent, Nilphamari
Latest News