'Child, Not Bride': Tackling the roots of child marriage
The campaign aims to change social attitudes to prevent child and forced marriage.
Stopping one child marriage may not be enough, as girls are sometimes married off elsewhere unless the root causes of the practice are tackled, BBC Media Action Bangladesh Country Director and Southeast Asia Regional Director Md Al Mamun has said.
"Child marriage cannot be ended through law enforcement alone. It requires a change in social attitudes and collective action," he said at the launch of the "Child, Not Bride" initiative in Dhaka today (7 September).
BBC Media Action formally launched the campaign in partnership with Plan International and with funding from NRK Telethon, run by Norway's public broadcaster NRK. The campaign aims to prevent child and forced marriage in Bangladesh and change social attitudes to protect girls' rights.
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Prime Minister's Adviser and Prime Minister's Office Spokesperson Mahdi Amin said efforts to stop child marriage must first identify its underlying causes and adopt area-specific policies.
"Girls should not become victims of child marriage because of family pressure or social influence," he said, stressing the need for greater awareness.
Mahdi Amin said many families still see child marriage as a solution to problems, although it often creates bigger problems.
"Some people still encourage child marriage and even see it as a 'good deed' without realising that it can destroy a girl's future," he said.
Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen said child marriage disrupts girls' education, limits their opportunities and prolongs the cycle of poverty.
He also stressed the importance of education, awareness and the media in preventing the practice.
Plan International Bangladesh Deputy Director (Programme) Nilima Yasmin also spoke at the event, along with government representatives, diplomats, representatives of development organisations, journalists and digital content creators.
The event also featured awareness messages, songs and public service announcements produced as part of the initiative. Baul singer Aleya Begum and rapper Ali Hasan took part in one of the songs.
The campaign activities began at 7:30pm today with the release of the content on BBC Hello Check's Facebook, YouTube and TikTok channels.
