Birgungj, August 9, 2016: “I won’t be marrying with the boy seeking dowry,†says the 9th grader Rajanandini Chaudhary of Supauli. “Many sisters have been harmed because of the dowry system in our society. Thus we need to act together to eliminate this wrong system,†she adds.
Adolescent girls like Rajnandini of Parsa have now launched campaigns against the dowry system and child marriage. The campaign has also been supported by the Police.
Under the campaign against dowry and child marriage that started last April, 13 girls’ clubs have already been formed in rural and city area of Parsa district.
Girls studying in grades 8, 9 and 10 in different private and community schools in Belawa, Gardaul, Parerwasugauli, Sabaithawa, Sakhuwaprasauni, Dewarwana, Jitpur, Sirsia, Udaypurghurmi and Supauli Village Development Committees of Parsa district and Pipara, Kumhaltole and Shreepur have formed girls’ clubs.
Almost 200 girls have been campaigning through the girls’ clubs formed in 13 different villages. “Girls affiliated in these clubs have made a common commitment to not to marry with the boys seeking dowry, and even not allowing others also to marry if dowries are demanded,†said Rajubabu Shrestha, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Parsa, who is also active in the campaign.
“We formed the club to remove the bad systems like dowry and child marriage from our society,†says Khushi Jha, president of Nrisingh Girls’ Club in Pipara of Birgunj. “We all girls associated with the club have made a commitment not to marry with the boy seeking dowry,†she adds.
DSP Shrestha says that as the adolescent girls are victimized the most from the evil systems of dowry and child marriage, they have involved the girls studying in grades 8, 9 and 10 itself in the campaign.
“In the villages where girls’ clubs have been established, there has also been significant reduction in the number of people into gambling and drinking,†said DSP Shrestha.
By Kranti Shah
