Carrying on the battle on child marriage

Peacempire, an initiative to scale down Early Marriage, have worked with 2805 adolescents, youths and adults, mostly aged 13 to 25 years, who represent over 32 villages in the district of Narayanganj. It surpassed the targets set. Until the eve of February, it trained 162 Community Reporters, 149 Young Advocates, 63 Peer Educators and 2431 Campaigners through a series of workshops and campaigns, conducted between the early weeks of October 2016 and the mid winter of January 2017.

Earlier it formed a popular coalition of citizens-teachers, professionals, physicians, journalists, administrators, priests, politicians, victims and other people of all walks of life to successfully implement this project.

In the second phase, the Peacempire project has divided its area of work into four-workshop, campaigns, documentation and forming a coalition to reduce the rate of Early Forced Marriage and Violence against Women in Rupganj of Narayanganj. The coalition brings together experts, traditional leaders, political quarters, administrative bodies and victims under a monthly social campaign. Thus it equips Popular Opponents with the capacity to effectively respond to child marriage and gender violence through citizen journalism and digital media facilities, i.e. common cell phone hotlines, social media outlets etc to ensure legal interventions and public engagements in the villages.

The workshops include the following sessions-icebreaking session (i.e. name aerobics, birth map etc), expert lecture, case studies, storytelling, solidarity session, training materials, assignments, group work, competitions (i.e. oratory, essay, drama, drawing etc), award ceremony, club launching, video clip show and refreshments.

From the very beginning, it has plans in details to make the sessions as much creative and spontaneous as can be done through engaging the maximum number of participants in activities. It considered prioritising what a group of girls from Rupshi New Model School said. "We have long been suspicious about reports and researches done about us, so we request everyone to listen to us before anyone writes 'anything' about us, because there is nothing about girls, without girls", they said. Therefore, the Peacempire makes sure students get to speak up for what they are not being heard quite a long time.

During its third workshop on November 23, 2016, it invited a number of local victims of child marriage and gender violence, guardians and faith leaders in solidarity with the students at Abdul Haque Bhuiyan International School and College for a couple of hours.

The session started with presentation of a conceptual paper giving national and global understanding of sexual and reproductive health and rights, with case studies on local child marriages. Then faith leaders, politicians, parents and administrators shared their valuable ideas about an inclusive coalition to help reduce the rate of child marriages and violence against women.  

The major event in the school was bringing students together in the dialogue on causes, effects and the way out. The dialogue began as over 100 students were given sticky pads to write down their opinions on aspects of child marriage. Later, they, divided into different small groups, were asked to merge their opinions which were similar to others. Again, the small groups were annexed with comparatively large groups. Finally, the whole classroom turned into two rival counterparts to debate the major way out to reduce child marriage in the area.

Then on December 15, 2016, it arranged the fourth major event in a combined school, named Rupshi New Model School and College, Rupshi.  With maximum cooperation from the school authority, it initiated few more additional interactive sessions along with regular workshop programmes. Youth Club of Bangladesh, a popular volunteer group on health rights, developed and delivered the conceptual lectures in line with best global practices and family planning concepts. The entire classroom was segmented into different groups with different assignments and later the team leaders presented their collaborative works before teachers, the school managing committee and local media workers.

Students were given papers and scopes to develop different tools they think can reduce the rate of child marriage in the area. They brainstormed over hundreds of written solutions, which the Peacempire critically analyzed to develop a policy paper later. The best three papers among the competitive solutions had received Awards of Excellence.

The headmaster of the school and the governing body president among others narrated stories that inspired the audience giving them a conviction and legacy to fight for what is right.

After the end of the workshop, about 28 reporters, 32 advocates, nine trainers and four campaigners, out of hundreds from the school, demonstrated their interest in working to continue the campaign through a newly-formed club.

Later on December 29, 2016, Sahitunnessa Pilot Girls High School, the largest girls' school in Rupganj, invited the Peacempire team to organise another consecutive workshop at its premises. This time, Mr. Thakurdas Kar, headmaster of the school, delivered the conceptual lecture for the students. A number of three teachers joined the team and extended their cooperation during the workshop.

Three inspiring stories of them in Bengali language received mementoes in the categories of Winner, First Runner-up and Second Runner-up. And later 20 reporters, 40 advocates, 10 trainers and 10 campaigners got inspired to enlist their names to work as Popular Opponents with the Peacempire in future.

Finally on January 11, 2017, Majhina Moujar Ahmadia Fazil Madrasah, Kayetpara, was convinced to allow the Peacempire to undertake the last and 6th workshop that reached out to around three reporters, six advocates, 15 trainers and 563 campaigners in a separate event called assembly on the day.

With girls under veils and gender segregation, the madrasa, a no-go zone, did not allow the Peacempire team to enter the campus until the local politicians intervened.  

At the beginning of the day, the final or third campaign brought together around 563 students in an assembly in the most conservative religious school raising unprecedented voices against child marriage and gender violence, which is so far an astonishing achievement of the project.

However, the campaigns included both infield and online activism. Offline activism included one rally, one assembly and one road-show, two hand imprints, 10 street interviews, 1,103 petition signatures, one drama, etc. On the other hand, digital activism on the internet is underway to establish common cellphone hotlines, social media outlets, producing documentaries/short films, blogging, storytelling, reporting and creating apps.

Seven newspapers at home and abroad have already published the success stories of the campaign. Earlier 10 newspaper columns and a conference paper were published in 2016.

An important initiative of the campaign is building of a coalition and formation of a club. The multi-actoral coalition includes 10 experts/practitioners, 22 religious leaders, 12 traditional leaders, six policy makers, 30 local media people/journalists, political quarters, administrative bodies and victims.  

In total, the Peacempire trained and engaged 162 community reporters, 149 young advocates, 63 peer educators and 2431 campaigners from all six workshops and three campaigns conducted between early weeks of October 2016 and the mid-winter of January 2017.  They indirectly benefited and they disseminated what they learned among 233 peers in their institutions.

Email: rhasan@wdyoungleaders.org