News Title : Never underestimate power of a girl: Tarana Halim

News Date : 2015-12-03

-
State Minister for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Tarana Halim on Wednesday urged all to give an equal opportunity to girl children so that their voices are heard and can grow up to play role in the society equally, reports UNB. She also urged all not to underestimate the power of a girl mentioning that women who are in top positions in the country, including the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Opposition Leader in Parliament and peacekeepers abroad, were girls at one stage of their lives. “Never underestimate the power of a girl. Give them the chance and opportunity equally to grow up,” she said while addressing a function in the city. Canadian High Commission in Dhaka arranged the event marking the International Day of the Girl Child 2015 honouring four Bangladeshi officials having demonstrated leadership in preventing child marriage in their communities. UN Resident Coordinator Robert Watkins and Canadian High Commissioner in Dhaka Benoit Pierre Laramee also spoke on the occasion. Speaking as the chief guest, Tarana Halim said they have to ensure cyber security and safe internet for the girls so that they do not face any harassment through internet and social media platforms. The Canadian High Commissioner said the government of Bangladesh has committed to ending child marriage and the commitment of public servants will be essential to achieving this. “There’re many excellent examples of public servants in Bangladesh leading the effort to make sustainable change in their communities. The bravery, dedication and perseverance of these public servants should be an inspiration to us all,” he said. The diplomat said a world without early marriage and adolescent pregnancy will be a more just and prosperous world. “Ending child, early and forced marriage is a key condition for ensuring sustainable development,” he added. Watkins said investment in girls is one of the keys to unlocking the potential of development in a country, and has been recognized as the ‘girl effect’.

Source