Awareness programmes held on prevention of child marriage
Surjit Kumar Dhal, Bhubaneswar, Aug 17: As a part of Odisha Government’s strategy to prevent child marriage in state, the district administration of Subarnapur has taken up a great step to end this social evil in the district, said a release from the Department of Women & Child Development and Mission Shakti.
An innovative campaign has been initiated to involve the responsive citizens to stop this social evil. A mass campaign was organized involving 41 parade teams comprising around 1200 students, police, Scout, Guide volunteers and they have beenadministered oath to stop child marriage.While Debi Prasad Dash, Superintendent of Police, administered the oath, the District Child Protection Unit (DCPO) and District Social Welfare Officer (DSWO), District Information and Public relation Officer (DIPRO)and many known figures of the districts also took part in this awareness campaign.A slogan competition was also organized on the same topic to make school children aware and involve in the campaign. All Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CMPO)’s have also organized various awareness programs simultaneously in their project areas covering the whole district.Simultaneously, in Mayurbhanj district, the district administration has been constantly engaged in building preventive measures as it is the most vulnerable district so far as prevalence of child marriage is concerned. All the Block Development Officers (BDO’s) are being requested to include child marriage issues as a part of the agenda in the Special Gram Sabha held on the 15th August (Independence Day) for creating awareness at the village level.Mayurbhanj District Administration took initiative to sensitize people through various modes of campaign to stop child marriage in the district. Due to the consistent effort of the Department with the help of the District Child Protection Unit, Police and voluntary organisations, as many as 397 child marriages were prevented from taking place in the year 2018-19.
