Don't discuss minimum marriageable age much

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz Chumki yesterday urged people not to discuss much the minimum marriageable age of females as stated in the draft Child Marriage Restraint Act because it may deepen the confusion over the issue.

"I have been noticing for quite some time that magazines and newspapers are citing 16 or 15, mostly 16 (as the minimum age). I would request you not to discuss this issue much," she told a national consultation on "Way Forward to End Child Marriage".

"There won't be any change to 18 (as the minimum age). It will remain how it is," she stressed, adding too much focus on the matter would make people think that the minimum marriageable age had actually been decreased.

The draft law, sent to the law ministry, cited 18 as the minimum age but a clause which permitted marriage at 16 under special circumstances was also included. The minister did not say whether the clause was removed.

Women's rights activists including former chairperson of CEDAW Salma Khan, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Ayesha Khanam, Unicef consultant Mira Mitra, and former caretaker government adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury noted that the proposed law should not allow any exception to the minimum age.

Brac organised the consultation at Spectra Convention Centre in the capital's Gulshan.

Asked about the clause, Begum Nasrin Jahan Ratna, member of the parliamentary standing committee on women and children affairs, told The Daily Star by phone that the matter was still under discussion.

Sheepa Hafiza, director, Gender Justice Diversity and Migration Programme of Brac, presented recommendations from 19 district and upazila level workshops on prevention of child marriage.

A total of 1,305 kazis (marriage registrar), 227 imams (who lead prayers), 110 government officials, and 65 local government representatives participated in the workshops.

The recommendations include using the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) card to confirm age and making online birth registration mandatory.

Other recommendations from kazis, imams, purohits (Hindu priests) and union parishad chairmen included stopping affidavits of marriage and divorce by notary public advocates, making registration of Hindu marriages mandatory, training marriage registrars and specifying geographical areas for kazis to prevent registration of early marriage in another area.

Journalist Farzana Roopa said mobile court drives against early marriage could make enforcement of the law visible.

Mira Mitra urged using electronic media to launch a mass campaign against child marriage and Rasheda K Chowdhury suggested using social and folk media to create awareness. 

Mili Biswas, deputy inspector general of police; Sarah Cooke, country representative of UK development organisation DFID; and Muhammad Musa, executive director of Brac, also spoke.