Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Heather Cruden has appreciated the ‘valuable contribution’ that the NGOs and civil society organizations are making for eradication of child marriages and to address the other development challenges.
“I appreciate the valuable contribution that non-government organizations and civil society organizations are making to address this challenge. In particular, I’d like to like to highlight the recent efforts of Plan International and BRAC to lead a countrywide effort to end child, early and forced marriage (CEFM),” she said.
The diplomat also said Canada welcomes the Bangladesh’s post-2015 development agenda that commits to the eradication of child marriage and address many other issues relevant to this significant development challenge, said a media release on Sunday.
The High Commission of Canada celebrated the International Day of the Girl Child which was established by the UN in 2011 as a result of a resolution initiated by Canada, the release said.
The High Commission also organized an event on October 10 marking the day drawing attention to girl child issues.
The event was attended by the members of civil society, private sector, academia, business women leaders, and the international community.
Unicef Representative in Dhaka Pascal Villeneuve thanked the Canadian government for its contribution of US$ 19.9 million to support the new Unicef project, improving health and nutrition for hard-to-reach mothers and young children.
Khushi Kobir, coordinator of Nijera Kori, also spoke about the challenges of CEFM in Bangladesh.
The event featured the screening of a Canadian documentary, ‘Nadia’s Journey’ which reflected on some of the challenges that are faced daily by young girls around the world.
Source: UNBConnect
