Stop child marriage
It is quite worrying to note that marriages of underage girls are taking place in different places of the country despite extensive media coverage highlighting the dangers of child marriage. An agency report from Rajshahi carried in this newspaper on Friday laid emphasis on building social awareness among the community people, especially teachers, parents and influential leaders, for freeing the society from child marriage. This vital social issue has triggered a lot of debates in recent times. But nothing could stop this scourge that has come as a formidable challenge for an overpopulated country like Bangladesh.
Bangladesh has the highest rate of child marriage in South Asia with 73 per cent girls getting married before they become 18 years old, revealed a survey report by Plan international, an international child rights organisation. The survey was conducted on three countries in Asia---Pakistan, Indonesia and Bangladesh. According to a BRAC survey, Bangladesh is the fourth highest in child marriage in the world. Being a signatory to various international conventions, it is really discreditable for Bangladesh to bear the stigma of high rate of child marriage. Poverty, illiteracy, social discrimination, age-old superstition and insecurity of girls are mainly responsible for early marriage. As about 90 per cent of the total population lives in rural areas, underage marriages are being solemnised mainly there rampantly. Not only girls, boys are also getting married below the prescribed age for marriage.
The government has backtracked from its earlier stance that girls can be even married off at the age of 16 under special circumstances. Now minimum marriage age for girls has been fixed at 18. Marriages of underage girls are taking place in different places of the country, particularly in rural areas. A girl may attain puberty even at age 12 or 13. This gives her physical ability to procreate; but procreation is not all. Physical, mental and intellectual maturity is needed for a planned family life. Besides, women have to confront many ills like scourge of dowry, divorce, rigours of repeated child-bearing, malnutrition and broken health. If a girl is married off at proper age it is good for her as well as for her children. There is no alternative to creation of mass awareness to prevent this malaise that has penetrated deep into the society and is doing a lot of mischief. Mere enactment of law for reducing the rate of child marriage will do little if the overall mindset of the people of the country is not changed.
The government should take stringent measures so that the country can shake off the stigma of high rate of child marriage. It must ensure that not a single girl is married off below the age of consent. The sooner it is done, the better.
