Bangladesh: UNICEF chief calls for an end to child marriage

At 14, Bushra faced being married off – until community leaders at a UNICEF-supported child protection hub worked with her father to prevent her from being given away against her will.Her story was one of many heard by the UN children’s agency Executive Director Catherine Russell who on Tuesday called for urgent investment in Bangladesh’s children following a three-day visit to the country.Ms. Russell urged action on three fronts: ending child marriage and keeping girls in school, delivering on the Government’s commitment to invest five per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) in both education and health, and protecting quality learning for Rohingya refugee and host-community children.“Keeping girls in school and providing them with the health, education and protection services they need will deliver a brighter future for them, for their communities, and for Bangladesh,” she said.Married before 18In Korail, Dhaka’s largest informal settlement, Ms. Russell heard from children and parents how poverty, disrupted education and limited basic services have impacted their lives. Adolescent girls shared their ambitions and the pressures that can force them out of school and ...