RAJSHAHI: Speakers at a press conference here yesterday said more responsive role of the media personnel has become an urgent need to control child marriage both men and women as it leads to various violence and repression against women, reports BSS. They said all of us should raise voice and work together to address the social problem collectively as only the government or any other single organisation cannot do anything in this regard. Role of media is very vital towards combating child marriage and preventing sexual harassment against schoolgirls. Network for Eliminating Sexual Harassment and Meyeder Jonnyo Nirapad Nagarikatta (MEJNIN) programme jointly organised the press conference held at Public Library conference hall in association with Gender Justice and Diversity Division of BRAC. Some other schoolteachers and members of the civil society were present at the conference.
With Akbarul Hassan Millat, convener of the network, in the chair, Brac District Representative AKM Jahedul Islam, headmaster of Ranibazar Girls School Sadiqul Islam, retired college teacher Bulbul Rani Ghosh and sector specialist of Mejnin Programme Feroj Kabir spoke on the occasion.
Terming the child marriage as the major violence and gross violation of human rights they said there is no alternative to check it substantially. Despite multifarious interventions by the government and non-government organisations concerned, the child marriage is taking place frequently.
In this alarming situation, the mass-media should come forward positively, they added.
The discussants said unemployment, intrusion of foreign culture and weak family bondage were triggering various unexpected incidents like sexual harassment.