Child marriage prevalence going down: Survey
The prevalence of child marriage in the country has dropped by 17 percentage points in the last three years, according to a latest survey.
It shows 35 percent of women aged 20-24 years were married before 18 in 2016. The prevalence rate was 52 percent in 2013, and 65 percent in 2011.
Unicef along with Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation Division (IMED) conducted the survey on 2,00,000 families in 2016.
The findings were disclosed through a ceremony at the Sonargaon hotel, where a campaign to end child marriage was also launched. Unicef and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in association with UNFPA and CIDA.
Speaking on the occasion, Unicef's Bangladesh representative Edouard Beigbeder said, “Child marriage is one of the most critical issues faced by Bangladesh today. Bangladesh has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world.”
Though the prevalence rate dropped, the percentage of girls who marry before 18 and are denied their rights remains unacceptably high, he said.
Recent evidence suggests a sharp downward trend but the next household survey will give the overall prevalence rate, he further said.
The campaign, “Raise the Beat”, aims to create awareness and trigger behavioural and social change to end child marriage in the country.
It promotes prevention and reporting of child marriage by encouraging individuals and communities through multimedia tools like television commercials.
Attending the event, Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu said raising awareness through social campaign is very important because child marriage is still prevalent despite laws.
Religion and poverty are among the reasons behind child marriage, he said, underscoring also the need for stopping marriage of males below 21.
State Minster for women and children affairs ministry Meher Afroz Chumki said her ministry was working on the government's commitment to end this menace.
For this, people from all walks of life have to raise a common slogan against child marriage, she said.
Canadian High Commissioner Benoît-Pierre Laramée and Secretary to Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Nasima Begum also spoke at the ceremony.
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