Bangladesh\\\'s golden girls at Beijing+20 meet

Irani Akhter is an 11th grader at a remote college of Satkhira district. But she is unlike other girls of her age at Sushilgati village. She is a volunteer and, apart from her studies, makes every effort to bring women to health centres during pregnancy and childbirth. Giving birth at home at the hand of unskilled attendants is a major cause of maternal deaths in Bangladesh. She also speaks against dowry and child marriage, which is highest in Bangladesh's south-western region. Her work drew the attention of Bangladesh's UNAIDS office that came to know her and nominated her along with another volunteer of her village, Tamanna Khatun, a 10th grader, in a UN regional gathering of gender equality which began in Bangkok on Wednesday. They suddenly came to the notice of the 'Asia-Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: Beijing+20 review' participants at the UN regional headquarters after they spoke at a sideline event. Bangladesh is on the track of achieving MDG 5, yet at least 194 women per 100,000 die during childbirth. Both Irani and Tamanna think that ensuring medical check-up known as ante-natal care during the pregnancy is the key to identifying the mothers at risk and prepare them for a successful childbirth. They received training from Community Health Foundation, an NGO, 2 years back. Labin Rahman, consultant to the NGO who is accompanying the two youths, said. 'They are our golden girls,' according to a news agency.