Self-development of adolescents stressed for nation building

The self-development of children and adolescents is imperative to raise them as good citizens, one of the key preconditions for building a developed nation, said speakers at an event on the occasion of the International Day of the Girl Child. 

They pointed out that everyone including the family, society, and mass media play a role to instil self-confidence in teenagers and this should be done from an early age as an integral part of their sense of life.

The roundtable talks, jointly organised by Unilever Bangladesh Limited, Plan International Bangladesh, and the Children Affairs Journalists Network (CAJN), took place at a hotel on Monday in the capital.

Chair of the parliamentary standing committee on Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Meher Afroz Chumki, attending the event as chief guest, said, "The trend of child marriage in society is a hindrance to progress. Men engaging in child marriage should be brought under the law and the media can play an important role in this."  

Editor of Daily Jugantor, Saiful Alam, said excessive dependence on technology is having a negative impact and we should keep an eye on this to build self-confidence among children and adolescents. 

CEO and MD of Unilever Bangladesh, Zaved Akhtar, said, "Besides delivering daily necessities, Unilever is working on addressing a variety of challenges. As part of this effort, the Dove Self-Esteem Project (DSEP), has begun. The mission of this project is to empower 25crore young people around the world by 2030, but Unilever cannot do it alone. The cooperation of government, civil society, development partners, the media, and especially all of you, is important in fulfilling our goals."

Meher Afroze Chumki officially inaugurated The DSEP initiative at the event. The initiative, which is jointly organised by Unilever Bangladesh and Plan International in our country, has already reached 3.4crore people in 142 countries. The project is working on helping the next generation, especially women and children, grow up with a positive perception of their physical appearance and making the most of their potential.

Three teenagers attended the talks moderated by CAJN Chairman Mahfuza Jesmin. Plan International Bangladesh Country Director, Orla Murphy, and Director General of the Department of Women Affairs, Ram Chandra Das, spoke at the event among others.