RAJSHAHI, Oct 27, 2023 (BSS) - Ensuring women rights has become crucial to
establish equity-based society through ending violence and repression against
them.
 
Wide-ranging social awareness among the community people, especially parents
and teachers, is very important for prevention of child marriage and dowry
for substantial and sustainable reduction of violence against women.
 
Government officials, development activists and other stakeholders made the
observation while addressing a district-level dialogue in Chapainawabganj on
Thursday.

DASCOH Foundation organised the dialogue titled "Prevention of sexual
harassment, child marriage and violence and repression against women" at
Civil Surgeon Office supported by NETZ Bangladesh.
 
Civil Surgeon Dr SM Mahmudur Rashid addressed the discussion as the chief
guest while District Education Officer Abdur Rashid, Social Service Officer
Firoz Kabir, Deputy Director of the Department of Women Affairs Sahida Akhtar
and Assistant Director of the department of Youth Development Ashiqur Rahman
spoke as special guests.

Area Coordinator of DASCOH Foundation Ruhul Amin gave an illustration on the
issue besides putting forward a set of recommendations on how to solve the
problem during his keynote presentation.
 
Terming the child marriage as the major violence and gross violation of human
rights he said there is no alternative to eliminate it collectively.
 
There is an urgent need to establish social networks and alliances involving
government and non-government organisations, community people, civil society
and media to attain the cherished goal.
 
Besides, utmost emphasis should be given on strengthening legal assistance
and effective enforcement of laws regarding women repression to eliminate the
number of violence against women.

The discussants unanimously termed the present government as women-friendly
and mentioned that the government has attached top priority on women
development.
 
Civil Surgeon Dr SM Mahmudur Rashid put emphasis on both men-women equal
participation for achieving the SDGs by 2030 coupled with building a
developed and prosperous Bangladesh by 2041.
As a whole, the dialogue unequivocally called for social awareness and social
empowerment of women to free the society from harassment, repression and
oppression against women and child marriage.