Gazi Mahida Mizan from Satkhira
Child marriage is a social curse and it presents negative impacts on the life of the victims making the victims of different of different diseases. Besides, child marriage is responsible to drop out in education and is a social crimes. Many adolescent girls across the world become the victims of child marriage during the Covid-19 pandemic and Bangladesh is one of such countries. There have been media reports regarding the increase in child marriage during the Covid-19 pandemic in Bangladesh. However, in order to create awareness and help the children resuming their education BARCIK has been organizing different awareness in events in its working areas.
As part of these awareness events a campaign titled ‘Red Card to Child Marriage’ was held in Satkhira recently organized by BARCIK. This campaign was conducted with a slogan ‘Child marriage takes life away from life’.
Satkhira Sadar Upazila Women’s Affairs Officer Fatema Johra presided over the campaign while Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Fatema Tuj Johra spoke as the chief guest. Gazi Mahida Mizan, Assistant Program Officer of BARCIK, Sheikh Shahidur Rahman, Sadar Upazila Social Service Officer, and Abdul Gani Asad, Headmaster, Bajuardanga Government Primary School, spoke as special guests on the campaign. The organizer of the education culture and diversity protection team SM Habibul Hasan also spoke in the event.
The speakers while addressing the participants of the event, particularly adolescent girls and boys said that early marriage is a curse, it slows down life and takes away life. Education is the precondition to escape from early marriage. If boys and girls go educational institutions they will be educated on the negative impacts of the child marriage and will be aware of their responsibilities. Therefore, the guardians should be aware of that. The speakers further said that ‘Today’s children are tomorrow’s future. Girls should refrain from getting married before the age of 18 and having children before the age of 20. Girls are not the burden of the family. They need to be made efficient and self-reliant through education and training.’
At this time, the adolescent girls showed a red card to child marriage and called upon all to come forward from their respective places to prevent child marriage.
Translated by Silvanus Lamin