Child marriage most egregious human rights violation

Child marriage is the most egregious form of human rights violation and there is no scope to decrease marriageable age of young women from 18 years, speakers told an award-giving ceremony yesterday.

They also underscored the need for comprehensive and combined efforts of the government, development organisations, private sector and civil society along with funding to ensure empowerment and security of the country's women.

The award was presented for “Preventing Child Marriage and Reducing Gender Based Violence-2016”, which is also the theme of the ceremony organised by the High Commission of Canada in Bangladesh in a hotel in the capital.

Khulna Divisional Commissioner Abdus Samad got the award for conducting 276 mobile courts, filing 340 cases and handing down punishment to 72 persons, says a handout.

Former deputy commissioner (DC) Habibur Rahman received the award for his leadership and active role which resulted in Lalmonirhat becoming one of the leading districts making progress on the issue, it said.

Another former DC, Shafiqul Islam, was recognised for taking up several initiatives with stakeholders of Meherpur which created awareness to a significant extent, added the handout.

Lastly, the Government Innovation Unit-Prime Minister's Office (GIU-PMO) was honoured for drawing the attention of local government offices to unauthorised marriage registrars, sensitising them to the importance of tackling the practice and providing training to the offices and those engaged in the practice.

High Commissioner Benoît-Pierre Laramée said child brides face an increased risk of violence throughout their lifetime.

“Even worse, girls who marry before 18 often lack empowerment and awareness, and they are sadly more often accepting of domestic violence than their peers who marry after 18. We know that girls who marry young are powerless to stop the violence,” he said.

A commitment to ending child, early and forced marriage is actually a pledge to uphold the rights of women and girls, said the high commissioner.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's International Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi said the entire society must be held accountable and no responsible person, be it the upazila nirbahi officer, marriage registrar, headmaster or superintendent of police, can turn a blind eye to it.

“Those who will turn blind eye will take to task,” he said. “We should not be dismayed,” he said regarding 

the draft child marriage restraint act 2016 which attracted widespread criticism from the civil society for containing a provision allowing girls under 18 years of age to be married off under special circumstances. “Every law is followed by rules. We now have to work on the rules to make sure that fewer and fewer can misuse it,” he said.

Unicef Country Representative Edouard Beigbeder said any such provision may jeopardise ongoing government efforts to tackle the problem. “Any consideration for further protection of minor girls, in relation to child marriage, should be addressed through the rules,” he added.

Brac Director Anna Minj urged bringing an end to the epidemic of child marriage for a safer, healthier and prosperous future.