Dhaka – Some 40 lakh girls were married off at the age of 14 on average in the country in the last two years beginning from November 2014, according to an NGO, UNB news agency reported.
Initiatives for Married Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment (IMAGE) came up with the figure at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) on Monday, citing findings of its ongoing project.The conference was organised to announce the national weeklong campaign (Oct 24-30) titled ‘We Unite, She Stands’ to expedite the empowerment of early married girls, marking the International Girl Child Day that was observed on October 11.
Speakers said young girls are being forced into married life overnight without any preparation. These girls are often withdrawn from their academic life and deprived of scopes of developing any kind of skills.
Despite being children, they have to perform responsibilities of adults and before their minds and bodies are mature enough, the speakers said adding that they become pregnant and give birth to children, and along the process, these girls, deprived of their basic rights and opportunities, gradually become invisible.
IMAGE suggested that policymakers pay due attention to their reality by recognising them as children despite the adult involvement and responsibilities imposed on them.
Underscoring the need for raising awareness, they said it will not only make their lives better but also support them to become complete human beings and citizens of the country.
IMAGE started its work in November 2014 aiming to improve the lives of 4,500 girls married off early in three districts in the country’s northern region.
Terre des Hommes Netherlands , RedOrange Media and Communications alongside three local partners are working together on a national-level coordination, awareness-raising, and advocacy to ensure the girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in various forms of communication and activities at the field level.
The ultimate goal of the project funded by the Netherlands Embassy is to raise awareness so that people surrounding the early married girls would be more sensitive, cooperative and caring towards them.
