This is an opportune moment to discuss this issue with April 30 being observed as the International Day to End Corporal Punishment of Children. Corporal punishment includes any punishment in which physical force is used and intended to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, as well as non-physical forms of punishment that are cruel
Ending corporal punishment of children: Time for action is now! Read More »
Frontline healthcare workers, community mobilisers, caregivers, mothers working from home while supporting children with online classes—women of Bangladesh and all other parts of the world have been facing the Covid-19 pandemic with immense strength, courage, patience, and resilience. I have been thinking of ordinary women performing extraordinary responsibilities in the context of the discussion on
Covid-19 response by women leaders: Will this change the quality of leadership? Read More »
Today’s children will be known as the “Covid Generation”. Their health, nutrition, education, protection and overall wellbeing will be profoundly influenced by the impacts of the global pandemic. The next decade could see a huge reversal in children’s rights or be a significant moment in the fight for a world where all children can grow
Listen to children for a child-sensitive society Read More »
In August 2020, a Bangladeshi television channel aired a news story on the excessive use of smartphone use by children under the age of 5, and its negative consequences. Many of them are having severe problems with their eyesight, and in some cases, are developing the ability to speak later than normal. In Bangladesh, many
Children need less screen time and more active play Read More »
According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF, 89 percent of children (1-14 years) in Bangladesh experienced violent discipline in the month before the survey was conducted. The survey also reported that 35 percent of caregivers believe that a child needs to be physically punished. There is
Breaking the inter-generational cycle of violence Read More »
According to the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey 2019 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF, 89 percent of children (1-14 years) in Bangladesh experienced violent discipline in the month before the survey was conducted. The survey also reported that 35 percent of caregivers believe that a child needs to be physically punished. There is
Breaking the inter-generational cycle of violence Read More »
“Girls do not look smart, they are pretty”—said a five-year-old Bangladeshi boy after a comment by the mother that his sister (three years old) was looking “smart”. The mother had to explain that both boys and girls could be smart and pretty. How does a five-year-old develop such gender stereotyped attitudes? Most of our boys
Let us write new stories Read More »
“Girls do not look smart, they are pretty”—said a five-year-old Bangladeshi boy after a comment by the mother that his sister (three years old) was looking “smart”. The mother had to explain that both boys and girls could be smart and pretty. How does a five-year-old develop such gender stereotyped attitudes? Most of our boys
Let us write new stories Read More »
From the char of Lalmonirhat to a slum in Khulna, I have met many adolescent girls across Bangladesh who are united in their resolve to continue education, who make extraordinary efforts to go to schools. For example, a girl in Khulna has been collecting and selling scrap papers in order to earn money to pay
We must do more to end child marriage Read More »
According to the Global Status Report on Preventing Violence Against Children 2020, each year, half of the world’s children (approximately one billion) are affected by physical, sexual or psychological violence, suffering injuries, disabilities and death. The report was published in June this year by the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, UNESCO, the Special Representative of
Ending violence against children must be a national priority Read More »
