Govt will award child marriage preventers, State Minister Chumki says

The government will award individuals and organisations for stopping child marriages, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki has said.

The minister made the announcement at a programme on Thursday amidst criticism over a new law allowing child marriage in 'special circumstances'.

"We have taken tough action to prevent child marriage. The district Upazila and Thana administrations have been instructed to take tough actions," she said.

"Even those who stop child marriage will be given special awards," she added.

She told the programme - 'Women's Economic Empowerment: Investing in Emerging Priorities' - that the issue of award would be included in the by-laws to be passed under the Child Marriage Restraint Act.

The draft of the by-laws says that the government will take step to award annually individuals or organisations for stopping child marriage.

Chumki emphasised women's financial independence through education to stop child marriage.

In the programme organised by NGO CARE Bangladesh, 10 women were given awards for their role in the economic sector.

The minister also inaugurated a mobile phone app - 'Sanjita' - made by CARE for garment factory workers.

UN Women Representative Christine Hunter and CARE Bangladesh Country Director Jamie Terzi, among, others, were present at the programme.

Parliament passed the chaild marriage prevention bill on Feb 27, limiting the minimum age for women to marry at 18 and men at 21, amid criticism by rights groups worried over possibilities of the rise in the rate of child marriage for the special provision. The president signed it on Mar 11.

The 'special circumstances' and the minimum age applicable under the 'special provision' have not been specified in the law.

Chumki had said the by-laws would remove the confusion.