DHAKA, June 5 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's Ministry of Women and Children Affairs in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) here on Wednesday launched phase III of the joint global program to end child marriage.
Set to run till 2030, according to a joint statement issued by the UN agencies, the program targets the most marginalized communities across the country and aims to bolster resources to support the Bangladeshi government to end child marriage.
It said the new phase will focus on strengthening the legal framework against child marriage, increasing education completion rates, and shifting social norms by leveraging the government's social protection schemes and engaging with communities.
While addressing the launching event, Simeen Hussain (Rimi), Bangladeshi state minister for women and children affairs, said: "We commend the collaborative efforts of UNFPA and UNICEF and affirm our commitment to working closely and effectively to implement the national plan of action to end child marriage and roll out the child marriage restraint act."
She stressed the need to focus more on the behavioral aspect of changing people's outlook as law alone cannot change what is being practiced for long.
"Currently, the rate of reduction of child marriage in Bangladesh is only 2.1 percent per year, which means it will take Bangladesh over two centuries -- 215 years -- to eliminate child marriage," said Kristine Blokhus, country representative to UNFPA Bangladesh.
"Keeping girls in school is a game changer. Increased, targeted investments in sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education equip adolescent girls with the tools to make informed decisions about their bodies and lives and empower them as agents of change and future leaders," she added.
"UNICEF is entering this new phase with a renewed commitment to empowering every child, especially rural adolescent girls and young women with life skills," said Stanley Gwavuya, OIC representative to UNICEF in Bangladesh.
"Working in districts with a high prevalence of child marriage, we will work with partners to address the root causes, engage key actors, and provide comprehensive support to both unmarried and married adolescent girls," Gwavuya said.
The program will also involve 2,174,300 individuals and 1,206,413 boys and men in group education and dialogue sessions to address harmful masculinities and gender norms. ■
