RAJSHAHI: Responsive support from the community, especially teachers, parents and influential leaders, has become must to ensure adolescent-friendly reproductive health services for reducing child marriage and child pregnancy substantially and sustainably, said discussants in Rajshahi, reports BSS. They viewed that schoolteachers and others concerned should be trained on the issue so that they can teach their students and guide them properly in this regard. At a daylong training workshop titled “Awareness Raising on Child Marriage to Mitigate Violence against them” held at Tanore Upazila Parishad Hall room on Wednesday, the speakers said freeing the adolescents from various misconceptions regarding reproductive health is very vital.
“Eradicating child marriage and child pregnancy is imperative in creating a glorious Bangladesh” was main theme of the training programme. Over 75 people including public representatives, schoolteachers, marriage registrars, religious leaders, journalists and other stakeholders joined the workshop. Association for Community Development (ACD) organised the programme in association with Department of Women and Child Affairs. The speakers also called for building a social resistance against child marriage and teenage pregnancies.Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mamunur Rashid addressed the opening session as chief guest with ACD Programme Manager Rabiul Islam in the chair. Upazila Vice-chairman Bondona Rani, Women Affairs Officer Fatema Khatun and Education Officer Amirul Islam also spoke. The discussants viewed there is no alternative to creating community awareness through raising school-based awareness on adolescence for combating the existing rate of child marriage. Emphasis should be given on involving community people so that they can play pivotal role in changing the social mindset on child marriage and child pregnancy. Besides, there should be measures of building awareness among the adolescents about their rights to reproductive health. The practice of child marriage is very damaging, especially for girls. It seems that girls are treated as burden to society, mostly in rural areas.