Regional leaders unite to end child marriage – New Age BD

Report on the Asia-Pacific Dialogue for the Eradication of Child Marriage

1.0 Executive Summary

A regional dialogue convened in Bangkok on Friday, organized by Plan International Asia-Pacific, addressed the critical issue of child, early, and forced marriages and unions (CEFMU) across the Asia-Pacific region. The event, which coincided with the launch of the ‘Status of the World’s Girls: Let me be a child, not a wife’ report, brought together key regional stakeholders to call for urgent, coordinated action. The discussions emphasized that ending CEFMU is fundamental to achieving multiple Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions).

2.0 Event Overview and Stakeholder Participation

The dialogue served as a platform for high-level discussion and partnership, reflecting the principles of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Participants included:

• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
• South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC)
• Girls not Brides
• UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia
• World Vision
• United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
• Child Fund International
• Plan International regional offices (Bangladesh, India, Nepal)
• TdH (Terre des Hommes)
• Youth activists and development partners

3.0 Key Findings and Link to SDG 5: Gender Equality

Jolly Nur Haque of Plan International Asia-Pacific presented key findings from the report, noting that despite progress, the Asia-Pacific region remains a global hotspot for child marriage. This practice is a significant barrier to achieving SDG Target 5.3, which calls for the elimination of all harmful practices, such as child, early, and forced marriage.

Bhagyashri Dengle, Regional Director for Plan International Asia-Pacific, reinforced this by stating, “every girl has the right to grow up safe, educated and in control of her own future,” a right directly undermined by CEFMU.

4.0 Regional Commitments and Policy Frameworks

Ambassador Md Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of SAARC, outlined the organization’s commitment to addressing the issue through enhanced regional cooperation. These commitments directly support the institutional strengthening required by SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions) and the health and education targets of other goals.

1. Reinforce Policy Frameworks: Strengthening legal and policy measures to prohibit CEFMU.
2. Expand Adolescent-Friendly Services: Increasing access to services tailored to the needs of young people.
3. Enhance Sexual and Reproductive Health Education: A critical component for achieving SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being).
4. Improve Data Collection: Enhancing the collection and use of disaggregated data to inform effective policies and programs, a key element for monitoring SDG progress.

5.0 Strategic Recommendations for SDG Acceleration

Speakers at the dialogue concluded that legal frameworks alone are insufficient. A multi-sectoral approach is required to create a sustainable impact and accelerate progress towards the SDGs. The following long-term investments were recommended:

• Girls’ Education and Skills (SDG 4): Prioritizing investment in quality education and vocational training to empower girls and provide alternatives to early marriage.
• Comprehensive Sexuality Education (SDG 3 & SDG 4): Implementing programs that provide essential health information and empower decision-making.
• Survivor-Centred Protection Services (SDG 16): Establishing accessible and effective support systems for girls at risk and survivors of CEFMU.
• Community Engagement (SDG 5): Launching initiatives that positively engage boys, men, and religious and traditional leaders to transform harmful social norms.

6.0 Conclusion and Call to Action

In her closing remarks, Sharon Kane, Director of Sub-regions for Plan International Asia-Pacific, issued a call to action for all stakeholders. She urged a concerted effort to align resources with programmatic results to ensure that commitments translate into tangible improvements in the lives of girls, thereby advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The core theme of the article is the protection of girls’ rights, specifically addressing the issue of child, early, and forced marriages. The dialogue and the report titled ‘Let me be a child, not a wife’ directly aim to achieve gender equality by ending harmful practices against girls.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article explicitly states that speakers called for “long-term investments in girls’ education and skills” and “comprehensive sexuality education.” This connects the issue of child marriage directly to the need for ensuring girls have access to quality education as a preventative measure.

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The call to “enhance sexual and reproductive health education” links the discussion to the health and well-being of adolescent girls. Access to such education is a critical component of ensuring girls can make informed decisions about their bodies and futures.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article describes a dialogue that “brought together the regional leaders from SAARC, SAIEVAC, Girls not Brides, Unicef Regional Office for South Asia, World Vision, UNFPA, Child Fund International, Plan International Bangladesh, Plan International India, Plan International Nepal, TdH, youth activists and development partners.” This multi-stakeholder collaboration and call for “strengthening regional cooperation and partnership” is a clear example of SDG 17 in action.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 5 (Gender Equality):
  • Target 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation. The entire article is centered on the report and dialogue focused on “child, early and forced marriages and unions.”
  • Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. This is directly addressed through the call to “enhance sexual and reproductive health education.”
• Under SDG 4 (Quality Education):
  • Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education. The call for “long-term investments in girls’ education and skills” implies the goal of ensuring all girls can complete their education, which helps prevent child marriage.
  • Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for… gender equality. The mention of “comprehensive sexuality education” and initiatives to “positively engage boys, men, religious and traditional leaders” aligns with this target of fostering skills for promoting gender equality.
• Under SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being):
  • Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education. The article’s emphasis on the need for “adolescent-friendly services” and “sexual and reproductive health education” directly supports this target.
• Under SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals):
  • Target 17.16: Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships. The dialogue itself, involving numerous international and regional organizations like SAARC, UNICEF, UNFPA, and Plan International, is a manifestation of this target.
  • Target 17.18: By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries… to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by… age, sex… and other characteristics relevant in national contexts. This is explicitly mentioned in the article where the Secretary General of SAARC highlights the commitment to “improve the collection and use of disaggregated data to inform policy and programmes.”

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Implied Indicator for Target 5.3:

  The article discusses the “Status of the World’s Girls” report and notes that “the Asia-Pacific region still accounts for a significant share of the world’s child brides.” This implies the use of data on the prevalence of child marriage. This aligns with Indicator 5.3.1: Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18.

• Mentioned Indicator for Target 17.18:

  The article directly quotes a commitment to “improve the collection and use of disaggregated data to inform policy and programmes.” This points directly to indicators related to statistical capacity and data availability. This supports Indicator 17.18.3: Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding, as improving data collection requires robust statistical plans.

4. Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: newagebd.net