Take long-term action plan for adolescent girls' nutrition dev

Speakers at a knowledge-sharing session underlined the need for drawing up a long-term action plan to step up adolescent girls' nutrition development and for bringing them to the mainstream development through eliminating gender disparities.
They also called upon the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE), Bangladesh Nutrition Council and National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) to take a collaborative approach in this regard.
The event titled 'National Level Knowledge and Impact Unveiling Workshop' was jointly organised by the DSHE and Plan International Bangladesh at a city hotel.
Plan International Bangladesh Country Director Kabita Bose presided over the session.
Social Welfare Secretary Md Khairul Alam Sheikh was present as the chief guest at the event held under the Joint Action for Nutrition Outcome (JANO) Project, funded by the European Union (EU) and managed through a consortium led by Plan International Bangladesh and CARE Bangladesh.
Director of the Planning and Development Wing of the DSHE Prof AQM Shafiul Azam, Director General (acting) of Bangladesh National Nutrition Council Dr Md Mahbubur Rahman, Member of NCTB Prof Md Moshiuzzaman, Programme Manager of European Union Margherita Capalbi, Executive Director, ESDO Dr Md Shahid Uz Zaman and Deputy Country Director of CARE Bangladesh Shamim Jahan spoke on the occasion.
The secretary underlined the importance of taking concerted efforts and sustainable initiatives in improving the SRHR knowledge and wellbeing of the vulnerable communities.
Kabita Bose highlighted the discriminations a girl child faces in education and health sector from birth and stressed the need for taking a long-term action plan to bring them to the mainstream development by preventing gender disparities from the beginning.
She stressed that a collaborative approach should be taken by the DSHE, Bangladesh Nutrition Council and NCTB in this regard.
A panel discussion on GEMS (Gender Equity Movement in School) intervention was held at the school-level calling for taking efforts to include the topics of GEMS session in the newly-initiated curriculum.
Operating in seven upazilas of Rangpur and Nilphamari districts, the JANO project has been instrumental in improving the health and nutrition states of the children under five years, pregnant and lactating mothers, and adolescents.
Its collaborative approach has facilitated partnership with 22 government departments and ministries, including the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council, supporting the implementation of the Second National Nutrition Action Plan.

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