The following news (published by a leading Bengali national daily on September 30, the National Day of the Girl Child) has been haunting me since I read it: In the last one and a half years, 24 girls below three years were raped. It was also reported that most of the perpetrators were known to […]
What we need to do Read More »
Recently violence against children has been highlighted by print and electronic media of Bangladesh. Media usually report extreme cases of violence (abductions, killings, rapes). According to Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum (BSAF), 1,085 children were killed during 2012-2015. The disturbing trend continues in 2016 (162 children were killed during the first four months of the year).
The ‘village’ must ACT NOW Read More »
You give dowry and I receive it, why are you bringing government into this? “said a woman in a village in Rangpur district during a discussion on women’s status. I had the opportunity to facilitate the session, and have thought of this many times since hearing several years ago. The comment reminds me that it
It’s not just poverty Read More »
Children are one of the most significant users of the Internet. They use it for education, communication, and entertainment. There are utopian celebrations that the Internet will empower children and democratise the society. It is also being held responsible for the destruction of childhood as we know it. Too much exposure to it is commonly
Who will protect children in cyberspace? Read More »
AROUND 80 percent of the world’s men and boys will become fathers during their lifetime, and virtually all men have at least some connection to children in caregiving relationships. Despite this, the practice of engaging men in caregiving is virtually invisible in public policies and discourses. The first-ever State of the World’s Fathers (SOWF) report
Involve fathers in childcare Read More »
Now I understand that ‘punishment’ and ‘discipline’ are different. Our parents brought us up in certain ways, and that is how we raise our children. They used to beat us and made us believe that it was part of the disciplining process. Thus, it is a part of us. But from this training, we’ve learnt
Effective parenting has to be learnt Read More »
Recently a friend of mine called to inform that his nephew (studying in class three in an English medium school in Dhaka) has been severely beaten by his teacher. I was outraged to know that this has been going on for the last two weeks, and the child has been visibly injured. I informed my
Make corporal punishment of children socially unacceptable Read More »
