Actors perform a street play at the Planetarium Conference Hall on Monday. Picture by Ashok Sinha

Patna, Jan. 24: Women Development Corporation (WDC) today observed the National Day for Girl Child with a Unicef programme Meri Beti Meri Shakti at Planetarium Conference Hall in the state capital.

WDC, Unicef, Mahila Samakhya, National Service Scheme (NSS), National Cadets Corp (NCC) and Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) jointly organised the programme. The programme aims at sensitising people about social evils like child marriage, which is illegal.

WDC has been organising such programmes on various issues related to women’s development in the state.

This time, they have adopted special measures to prevent child marriage that is still in practice in the state among the poor.

WDC believes that by educating the masses and making them aware of the ill-effects of early marriage can help them fight the social dogma.

Members of Nirmaan Kala Kendra started the programme with a welcome song. Unicef CFO Dr Yamin Majumder flagged off a new WDC programme, a mass media campaign on child marriage in Vaishali, Gaya and Nawada districts before it is extended to other districts.

He said: “Although child marriage is banned by law, a large number of cases are still reported in the state. It is time we need to work at the grassroots level and educate people about its ill-effects.” He added the girl child must not marry before 18 and the boy not before 21 to ensure adequate mental and physical growth.

Dr K.H. Khan, zonal director, NYKS, Bihar said: “Special care needs to be taken for the girl child as they are vulnerable in the society and it is the right of every girl to receive education and decide on their future.”

Irina Sinha, project director, WDC, said: “Our main focus is to educate people and make them aware of the social evils. We have been working on various projects for that.” Several women were present who have been victims of child marriage shared their experience with people present at the event. Now, many of these women are associated with various government or NGO programmes.

Chief guest Parveen Amanullah said: “It was good to be part of this noble cause and share the experience of those who have been victims of child marriage and are now associated with the awareness programme.”

The event concluded with a nukkad natak (street play) on child marriage.