Policy to protect, promote child rights drafted
Says State Minister Dr Shirin Sharmin
Women and Children Affairs State Minister Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury yesterday said the government has already drafted a child policy to protect and promote child rights.
She said the country's infant mortality rate has recently reduced to a large extent but tendency of engaging children in labour is rising and people should immediately refrain from this malpractice.
She was speaking at a day-long national seminar titled “Child rights in higher academia” jointly organised by University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) and Save the Children Sweden-Denmark (SCSD) at the UGC auditorium in the city.
Dhaka University Emeritus Prof Najma Chowdhury, SCSD Country Director Birgit Lundbak and Prof Amena Begum were present as special guests while UGC Chairman Prof Nazrul Islam presided over the programme.
Inaugurating the seminar as the chief guest, Sharmin said the government, for the first time, is taking on a national education policy to reach 100 percent literacy by 2014 and ensure schooling for all children.
Prof Nazrul said half the country's population is children. But they are not getting the proper support they deserve. Laws and acts should be initiated to ensure their right to education, health and shelter, he added.
He urged the government to ensure proper education for children throughout the country.
Birgit stressed the importance of discussion between academicians and practitioners to develop child rights.
She said academia provide new ideas, knowledge and solutions to problems and provides a clear idea to the new generation on child rights.
Speakers said according to a report of Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in 2003, a total of 7.4 million children were engaged in child labour.
They pointed out two causes -- child labour and sexual harassment -- as the vital challenges.
They also urged the government to implement section numbers 24, 28, 31, 32, 34 and 35 of the constitution to ensure economic, health, cultural, educational and social rights of children.
They said women and gender studies department was initiated from the ideology of feminism. Similarly, an independent academic study centre and institution should be formed on child rights.
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