RAJSHAHI: Speakers at a community level view-sharing meeting unequivocally called for concerted efforts to free the society from dowry, child marriage and violence against women, reports BSS. They mentioned that the government alone or any single organisation isn’t capable to free the womenfolk from violence and repression so community participation is very important in this regard. The observation came in a meeting titled “Family Law and Human Righsts” held at Shaheed Nazmul Haque Girls School in the city Sunday afternoon. Ladies Organisation for Social Welfare (LOFS) organised the meeting in association with BLAST and Access to Justice for the Marginalised and Excluded through Community Legal Service Project. Headmaster of the school Abbas Uddin Ahmed and BLAST Paralegal Officer Abu Taleb addressed the meeting as resource persons with Shahnaz Begum Lucky, Executive Director of LOFS, in the chair. Advocate Momtaj Khanom, Intern Mousumi Khatun, Fellow Rozy Akter, Programme Manager Salahuddin and Programme Officer Champa Khatun also spoke. Headmaster Abbas Uddin Ahmed mentioned that ensuring equal rights on education, training, science and technology is a precondition to women empowerment. He pointed out that the overall national development could not be possible until the children coming from the poor and underprivileged families are educated and ensured all other fundamental rights they deserve. In her remarks, Shahnaz Begum called for collective efforts of all government and non-government organisations including public representatives, social contributors, religious leaders, members of the civil society and media personnel to supplement the government endeavor. She viewed that the physical and mental development of children couldn’t be possible until they were protected from violence and deprivation. There is no alternative to sensitising the teachers, guardian, students and other stakeholders to end punishment and other violence and repression against children.