Child Marriage Restraint Act-2017 Module Development Workshop

Amrai Pari Jote has organized a workshop on “Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017’. Recently Government of Bangladesh has passed the` Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017’. To discuss about the law, Amrai pari Jote has taken an initiatives to organize the workshop under the project- `Creating Spaces to Take Action on Violence against Women and Girls’ with the cooperation of Global affairs of Canada and OXFAM Bangladesh. Workshop has been held at Dhaka CIRDAP Audutorium on 31.03.2017 to Develop Practical, Technical Tools and legal training for influencers to improve standards/laws for implementation. Venue was CIRDAP Auditorium, Dhaka. It was arranged by Amrai Pari Paribarik Nirjaton Protirodh Jot. Total participants were 82. Female 50 and male 32. Krishna Debnath, Justice of Bangladesh Supreme Court, Shaheen Anam, Co-Chairperson of Amrai Pari, Nazmun Nahar- Representative of Oxfam International Bangladesh, Jinat Ara Haque-National Coordinator of Amrai Pari, DC of Victim Support Centre, Metropolitan magistrate, Senior assistant judge, Barrister, Lawyers Officials of different govt. and non govt. organizations, polices, Journalists and activists were participated the program. They shared recommendations on implementation, monitoring, raising awareness of the law, however, most of the participants and guests argued on the special clause of the law and urged to remove the clause from the law including High court justice Krishna Debnath. She assumed, this law may harm girls and violate fundamental rights of girls and women as well as increase Child, Early and Forced Marriage in Bangladesh.

Consultant has prepared a module for undertaking training and workshops with influencers on legal frameworks. Participants and guests of the workshops have presented their opinion, experience and drawbacks of the CMR Act 2017. A module has been developed by Amrai Pari Paribarik Nirjaton Protirodh Jote for the influencers on Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017. This module contains with duty and responsibility of stakeholders, implementation of the law, guideline for the persons who experienced with violence and the way to prevent and end perpetrators activities. This module will support the trainers, academicians, local partners, NGOs, influencers, youth to take action against VAWG and child marriage. As national partner Amrai Pari will work with influencers from local to national level policy makers, local leaders, lawyers, justice sectors, government and Non-Government agencies, CSOs etc to stop and end child and early forced marriage, VAWG and change and reform of Child Marriage Restraint Act 2017.

In before Amrai Pari has accomplished 5 module developing workshops ( Child Marriage Restraint Act-2017) through participatory approaching reaching 216 (Women 102 and Men 114) influencers about 40 participants in each workshop. As a national partner Amrai Pari organized all workshops with direct support of local partners (USHA, BNPS, PSTC and Pollisree) in 4 districts which are Tangail, Netrakona, Faridpur and Dinajpur.