December 2013: Iconic Meena

N E W S Iwww.unicef.org.bd N BRIEF

UNICEF Bangladesh

Newsletter Issue 24, December 2013

Meena’s Appeal: From Reel to Real Life

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ahima Khatun’s childhood ended before it really started when she got married aged only 13 in 1998. Her father died unexpectedly leaving her mother, who had just come to Dhaka, struggling to eke out a living. She was hurriedly married off to her cousin.

Meena has proved inspirational to Rahima when she defends her daughter’s right to receive the same quality of education as her son. Continued on page 7

But largely thanks to a cartoon character she has managed to ensure that history has not been repeated - and that her children will not be forced to marry at a tender age or miss out on an education in the same way that she did. The television animation character is called ‘Meena’ – who this year celebrates 21 years of regularly appearing on Bangladeshi television screens.

Championing children’s cause Meena advocates for child rights, the benefits of education, healthcare, personal hygiene to bring about behavioural change in society. One of the key story-lines around Meena’s character is the burning issue of child marriage in a country where about two-thirds of girls get married before they are 18, the legal age for marriage in Bangladesh. In the course of her journey she has addressed thorny issues such as girl harassment, dowry, corporal punishment, child labour and disability. Rahima remembers well the positive influence of Meena during her early years of being a teenage bride “There was only one colour TV in our village back then and I remember watching Meena. I was pregnant with my first child at the time,” she says. “I love Meena and thought to myself that if my father was alive then I too would have been going to school like her.” For Rahima, the striking thing about Meena was the character’s wit and boldness.

Meena holds the hand of her younger brother, Raju, as they walk to school.

In Focus: Iconic Meena This edition focuses on different initiatives to promote child rights and illustrates how the animation character Meena helped to change lives. These activities are implemented with the Government of Bangladesh, civil society organizations and NGOs.

Issue 24 I December 2013

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IN THIS ISSUE

Contents In Focus Focus: Meena and Situation of Children. .............. 3 Meena Remains Peerless Role Model ................... 4 Winning Over Generations.................................... 5 “Magic Meena” Transforms Lives........................... 8 Children Live Meena’s Experiences. ...................... 9

Events ............................................................ Meena’s 21 st Birthday: UNICEF Honours Media for Upholding Child Rights....................... 10 Child Equity Atlas: Call for Child-Focused Investment in Pockets of deprivation................... 12 Child-Focused Budgeting Launched. ................... 13

In The field Parents Hail Special Newborn Services. .............. 6

Speak Out Voices of People Involved in the Making of Meena . ..................................... 15

News in Brief................................................ 16

Editor-in-Chief: Shima Islam Editor: Arifa S. Sharmin Editorial Contributor: Iftikhar Ahmed Chowdhury Consultant: Alastair Tancred Design & Layout: Syed Makhlesur Rahman Photo Editor: Ahsanuzzaman Khan Writers: Raffat Binte Rashid, Kamrul Hasan, Maherin Ahmed, Akram Hossain, Pulak Raha

UNICEF is funded entirely through voluntary contributions. ‘Regular’ resources are unrestricted in their use, while ‘other’ resources are tied to specific programme funding. The top five government contributors to regular resources are the USA, Norway, Sweden, Netherlands and the UK. The staff and activities of the Communication, Advocacy and Partnerships section are supported by Regular Resources.

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UNICEF Bangladesh Newsletter

Q&A with UNICEF STAFF Syeedul Hoque Milky, Communication for Development Officer, Sylhet Zone Office What are the key areas that you have worked to promote the Meena Communication Initiative? From the time I joined in UNICEF in 2002, I started working with the Meena Communication Initiative. I was involved in the story development and production of 10 comic books and six animation episodes of the Meena series including the conversion of three episodes and books into Chakma, Marma and Tripura languages, mainly spoken in the Chittagong Hill Tracts region. What are the major achievements and challenges for the Meena Initiative? Children love to follow everything Meena says through the animation episodes, comic books, posters and dramas. That has helped to achieve gender parity in primary education, increase the enrolment and retention of girls in schools and promote handwashing, proper sanitation and use of safe water resulting in reducing outbreaks of diarrhoea and water-borne diseases among children. One of the major challenges for the Meena Initiative is reaching children in areas where access to media is limited. Promoting the behaviour and social changes for children in those communities is a challenge. How can the Meena Initiative be better utilised in the future? Children want to see Meena films and read Meena comic books regularly in their schools. Along with producing new Meena episodes and books, it is important to organise film shows and provide comic books regularly in schools. Children also love to stage Meena plays. We may consider to provide support to children to create Meena teams in schools. This team will promote behaviour and social change issues through stage plays and keep children involved in the Meena Initiative in the coming years. r

IN FOCUS

Focus: Meena and situation of children

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eena, an animated cartoon character, was created by UNICEF at a time when statistics showed that girls in South Asia were deprived of their rights and were vulnerable. To promote girl’s rights, the 1990s were designated the Decade of the Girl Child by the governments of the SAARC countries. The Meena Communication Initiative (MCI) was launched in December 1992 with the first episode of the Meena series “Count your Chickens”, broadcast on Bangladesh Television.

© UNICEF/BANA2011-01230/Siddique

MCI contributed to the implementation of the rights of the child, with a special focus on the girl child in order to improve their status and develop their potential by influencing and supporting the forces of social change in South and South East Asia.

Children in Bangladesh account for about 40 per cent of the total population but they account for all of the country’s future. An estimated 17 million children are still living under the poverty threshold. Bangladesh has achieved the Millennium Development Goal on child survival, yet, in 2012 over 130,000 children died before their fifth birthday from largely preventable causes. Every day 50 children die on an average due to drowning which is around 18,000 per year. Girl enrolment in schools has increased, today more girls attend primary schools than boys.1 The challenge is now to ensure that all girls and boys complete their primary education and that they effectively master the required skills. Almost 23 per cent of children aged 6-10 years are out of school with little difference between boys and girls.2 Though the government has passed a new law to tackle child labour, its effective implemention remains a challenge. The proportion of child workers is higher among boys (9.1 per cent) than girls (2.6 per cent). The prevalence of real child worker (refers to children from 10 to 14 years old who are employed for the production of market and non-market goods not for household work or unpaid household services and who are not in school) is higher in urban areas (9 per cent) compared to rural areas (5 per cent).

As per recent statistics, around 65 per cent of women aged between 20 and 25 years were married before the Girls read a Meena story book during their weekly free-reading session at age of 18. Fortunately, the practice Bhashanchar Hosania Government Primary School in Barisal. is declining, but is still very high in some pockets of the country such as Since then, Meena has been used as a tool to impart Meherpur, Chapi Nawabganj, Kurigram, Chuadanga important messages on child rights. By using a mix and Bogra. of media channels and by distributing Meena comic books in schools, the Meena cartoon was popularised in society. Along with these, UNICEF introduced the Meena Media Award in 2005 to promote child rights in the mass media.

Spotlights: During the last 21 year journey of “Meena” as a change agent, the lives of children in Bangladesh have improved in many areas. Yet some important challenges remain.

Child marriage contributes significantly to the high burden of child malnutrition in Bangladesh. The probability that a child becomes stunted increases by over 20 per cent3 if born to an adolescent mother. With all these challenges, after 21 years of existence, Meena’s relevance is still unparalleled, and much needed to challenge negative social norms. r 1

BPE Census 2010 The Child Equity Atlas: Pockets of Social Deprivation, 2013 Because I am a Girl: The State of the World’s Girls 2009. Girls in the global economy

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IN FOCUS

Meena remains a peerless role model

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very day except Friday is full of learning and excitement for pupils at Gazipur Government Primary School.

Most of them will be first generation school goers whose parents are daily wage earners, surviving on a meagre family income. With such uncertainties in day-to-day life, education takes a back seat. Yet, paradoxically, parents and pupils alike realise that it is only through education that will they be able to break the poverty cycle.

“Just like Meena, I help my mother with household work but I also know that by studying I can help my parents when they need to read or count anything,” GradeIII student Mitu, 10, says referring to Meena’s act of counting chickens to find one missing.

Changing attitude Mitu also remembers from Meena’s advice to always go to school with her friends – there is safety in numbers – rather than going alone. Meena is not only an educator, she also teaches equality in the way boys and girls are treated in the family. “I vigilantly ensure that my parents provide my sister with the same amount of food as they provide me,” says Samad Hossain, 9, who is studying in Class-I. “I saw a Meena cartoon where Raju works the whole day only to come home and realise how much harder Meena has worked at home.

© UNICEF/2013/Sujan

“That’s when I realised how much my sister works. Though my parents always gave us an equal amount of food, I am still careful,” Samad says. His friend Amin is interested in saving the environment thanks to Meena’s influence.

Lasting benefits Students enthusiastically discuss Meena cartoons during class. Meena has a significant influence on children’s personal hygiene.

Learning to count This understanding did not come from a saint or a preacher however. On the contrary, the benefits of attending school were explained to them by an animated character they watched on television -- Meena. Not only was it Meena who successfully imparted the message about the benefits of education to them, it was she who convinced them to stick around in school to get the best out of it. Nine-year-old Meena, wearing a pink top and red skirt, remains a strong influence in the lives of these children. Like them, she comes from a poor background, so they listen when she advocates better education and healthier living. Similarly, pupils at the primary school can relate to Meena as she helps her mother with household chores and looks after younger siblings because they frequently have to do the same thing themselves.

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Meena also has a significant influence on children’s personal hygiene and healthcare and is a prominent advocate of hand-washing. Primary school headmistress Sultana Syeda says that Meena has brought lasting benefits to her pupils. “On Hand Washing Day the school showed a Meena episode on proper hygiene practices. “After that I saw students reminding each other to wash their hands properly and regularly,” she says. Parveen, 12, enthusiastically agrees: “Meena travels on a magic carpet and a genie appears! She wants everyone to use clean latrines, safe water and soap to wash their hands.” From attending school, planting trees, washing hands and sharing food fairly, Meena is showing children what they need to do to improve their lives. She has continually reminded hundreds of young audiences that they can all live in a better way. Given her enduring popularity, Meena is likely to continue to be a household name for many more years to come. r This project is funded by European Union and AusAid.

IN FOCUS

winNing over generations

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or Taslima Begum and her two pre-teen daughters, Meena is not just another popular cartoon show.

The world of Meena is the world they inhabit: the challenges facing girls in the cartoon reflect those faced by common Bangladeshi girls. “Having grown up in a society that is bent on denying girls’ rights to an education and not treating them as it treats boys, I am constantly reminded of Meena when I look at my daughters,” says Taslima. “The theme song of the show, Ami Baba Mayer Shoto Adorer Meye [I am the most loved daughter of my parents] makes me emotional every time I hear it, it reminds me of my own girls,” says the mother, who unlike many in the village, does not regret that she has no son. “I am confident that my daughter can take care of me better than any son ever could,” says Taslima in a recent meeting of “Bhor Holo” a community theatre group in Kahalu, Bogra, a district in the northern region of Bangladesh.

Inspiration for change In her efforts to go to school or in fighting for girls’ and children’s rights, the cartoon character Meena is an inspiration for Taslima’s daughters Rifa and Ruhani as well. “The stories of Meena are, above all, entertaining and fun. And I have learnt the importance going to school, maintaining basic hygiene like washing hands with soap and gender equity from the shows,” says Rifa. Created in 1992 after eight years of extensive research in South Asia by UNICEF, Meena was an instant success with children from different cultural backgrounds in the region, particularly from villages and small towns who could identify with Meena’s plights and struggles.

“When Meena’s father told her not to go to school anymore, she kept hanging around the school and learnt how to count. The knowledge proved useful when she discovered that chickens went missing from her house,” Ruhani recounts. There were moments in Rifa’s life when she had to remember Meena’s story to remind herself about the importance of schooling. “I learnt that girls are not only able to do everything that a boy can, but can also be more intelligent.” “Meena can be an effective tool in developing leadership skills among children. We often use her example to inspire children in our community to fight for their empowerment,” says Abdul Hannan, Director of a theatre group and a community organiser. Most of the children attending the meeting agreed that the gender roles of girls were playfully challenged in the episode where Meena swapped household chores with her brother Raju. “It showed that work that is usually relegated to girls is hard and require intelligence,” college student Moni comments while talking about the Meena animation show. “As a child, I always wanted to emulate Meena and admired her for her integrity,” Rifa says, echoing the voices of her mother Taslima. r This project is funded by UNICEF’s Regular Resources.

Challenging gender roles

Ruhani, a grade 10 student says she always wanted to ride a bicycle but did not dare to go out onto the street until she watched Meena.

© UNICEF/2013/Kiron

The girls and their mothers attending the meeting in the rural town seemed to be animated by any mention of Meena.

(Right) Taslima Begum and her two pre-teen daughters talk about Meena’s influence on them. “Whenever I visit a relative’s house and see that the girl’s allocation of food is smaller than that of the boy, I protest,” says Ruhani.


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IN FOCUS

Parents hail special newborn services

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ias Uddin, a 28-year-old carpenter and his 24 year old wife were eagerly expecting their first child and dreaming of holding the child in their arms when the bad news struck. A health worker said that the baby’s position in the womb was abnormal, and told the couple to see a doctor immediately. Terrified, Gias and his wife, Taslima Begum rushed to the nearby Chokoria Upazila (sub-district) hospital in Cox’s Bazar, a resort district in south-eastern Bangladesh. The doctors there said to them that Taslima should undergo a caesarean section for a safe delivery. No sooner had the operation been successfully completed that Gias’ fears were withered away as he saw his boy, weighing 2kgs. He was relieved and overjoyed. But his delight was short-lived. The doctors referred baby Zakir immediately to the Cox’s Bazar District Hospital which has a ‘Special Care Newborn unit (SCANU)’ for the care of sick newborns equipped with essential equipment and other facilities.

SCANU saves lives

Meeting challenges Bangladesh has achieved significant success in reducing under-5 child mortality (Millennium Development Goal 4). The Government of Bangladesh in July committed to ending preventable child deaths in the country before 2035. Achieving this goal will only be possible if the reduction of neonatal mortality is accelerated. Up to 75 per cent of neonatal deaths may occur in the first week of life, with nearly 50 per cent within the first 24 hours. The quality of facility-based healthcare in Bangladesh is still farily inadequate. According to a recent survey, only 20 per cent of sick under-five children were diagnosed correctly, and basic assessment practices such as measuring height and weight were conducted by only less than half of the facilities studied. Providing advanced neonatal care through SCANU is a major initiative which is being implemented in collaboration with the Government of Bangladesh since June 2011. “We have seven doctors and four nurses here at the Unit, and all are trained and committed. The nurses

“It was only an hour-long journey from Chokoria to Cox’s Bazar, but my son’s situation was so frail that I felt like I would never be able to reach the hospital in time,” says Uddin at his house in Dakshin Baluchhar village. “Every moment I thought he was going to die. But by the grace of Allah (God), my baby survived and his condition improved with care from the doctors and nurses.” “Now my son is five-and-a-half-months old and is doing great,” he claims. Doctors at the SCANU say that Zakir was admitted with neonatal sepsis, one of the major causes of neonatal deaths, and was discharged after 22 days of treatment.

Each month around 150 newborns, mostly from poorer families in remote rural villages, are admitted at the SCANU with fatal complications such as jaundice, sepsis and pre-maturity, according to paediatrician Arup Dutta Bappi, Head of the Unit.

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© UNICEF/2013/Kiron

Neonatal sepsis is caused by a number of factors, including an inadequate healthcare environment, low birth weight, maternal fever or infection and a difficult or prolonged labour.

A nurse attends to a newborn child at the Special Care Newborn Unit in Cox’s Bazar.

IN FOCUS are skilled enough to act fast in emergencies and to take care of sick newborns with fatal complications and infections,” says Dr Bappi. The look of the neat and clean SCANU, equipped with resuscitators, photo-therapy unit, vital sign monitor, syringe pump, portable oxygen concentrator and other essential equipment contrasts with that of most baby wards at public hospitals which are often poorlyequipped and managed.

Building capacity Under this initiative, more than 560 doctors, nurses, and consultants in other hospitals have received special training at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) by a team of expert neonatologists on essential newborn care, clinical management of sick newborn and quality improvement of services. “And these interventions are paying off,” says UNICEF Bangladesh Health Officer Kie Kanda.

“In August 2011, the average in-hospital (babies born in hospitals) neonatal mortality rate was 11.8 per cent, which was reduced to 8.6 per cent in July 2013 thanks to the project.” The Cox’s Bazar District Hospital has made visible changes in the work environment and the quality of care for newborns, resulting in the in-house neonatal mortality rate decreasing from 4.6 per cent in August 2011 to 0.9 per cent in July 2013. Ommey Shakina, 20, had her first baby admitted to the SCANU for the second time in less than three weeks after the birth because of severe pneumonia. She had been worried of the diagnosis but had become satisfied with the care and treatment her son received at the SCANU. r This project is funded by Government of Japan, KOICA, DFATD

Meena’s Appeal: From Reel to Real Life Looking for solutions “But Meena always taught us to look for solutions to a problem,” says Rahima, who lives in a slum in Uttara in Dhaka city. Meena’s appeal is not just confined to girls. “She has also helped scores of boys dispel negative stereotypes surrounding girls and women, portraying equality in a way that appeals to younger generations,” says student Osama Rahman. Other young people highlight Meena switching her chores with her brothers and her effort to improve sanitation and hygiene as salutary examples. “Meena competes with international cartoons for popularity among audiences,” says a young executive Mannan Zarif, who watched the series when he was a child.

Coping with time Afsan Chowdhury was involved in the early stages of Meena. He says that she has definitely made a contribution towards changing society. . “She is remembered by many and is still popular amongst certain groups, the challenge now is to see how Meena can work for future generations,” he says. According to Mira Mitra, UNICEF’s Communication for Development Specialist, Meena’s message has proved very powerful through two generations. Meena materials including films are produced to communicate messages through entertainment while carrying educational messages.

Continued from page 1

“She highlights the problems, rather than take a decision herself she brings the matter to the forefront of people’s attention,” says Mira Mitra. Journalist and communications expert Shamsuddin Ahmed agrees. “Kids cannot go to school by themselves, it is the job of parents to send them,” he says. “And it is exactly here where Meena has brought about change. “A mother who watches Meena with her child understands the need for schooling for her daughter so that the child doesn’t end up like her - uneducated and married off early.” Meena’s message has proved so powerful that the enrolment of girls in primary school increased dramatically bringing about gender parity. In addition to this year celebrating her 21st anniversary, she is also spearheading a campaign which makes the point that “quality education protects children from child marriage and child labour.” Meena appears on almost all the TV and cable network channels, has been introduced into the curricula of certain schools, used as a theatre personality and featured in a live radio programme. Happy birthday Meena and many congratulations on a stellar career. r This project is funded by UNICEF’s Regular Resources.


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IN FOCUS

“Magic Meena” transforms lives

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ike many of their contemporaries Hanakhoy Marma and her sister have adopted many of Meena’s characteristics. Both of them are students of Banderban Ideal School in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of south-eastern Bangladesh.

Hundreds of others in this remote area of the country have also developed a love for the intrepid child rights campaigner. Meena comic books have been translated into three languages Chakma, Marma and Tripura. These cartoon books have been made accessible to children who speaks different languages living in CHT.

Emulating an icon

Hanakhoy, a school going girl from the Chittagong Hill Tracts is a big Meena fan and strives to emulate her.

pursuing an early marriage and demanding a dowry.

In the Ujanipara district, Hanakhoy has persuaded her relatives to emulate the example set by Meena and clean their hands with soap before and after meals. This in itself has hugely reduced outbreaks of disease and helped keep them healthy.

“I don’t particularly remember when I started viewing Meena cartoons,” he says.

“There is hardly any disease in our family now,” Hanakhoy proudly announces.

“Although most episodes were set against rural backgrounds, urban street kids like me also had no problems relating to them as most of the episodes had a universal appeal.”

Meena’s influence has become so strong that most children in Hanakhoy’s community idolise her and try to inspire others in their families to follow her lifestyle. “We see Meena cartoons screened by the District Information Office and read Meena cartoon books in our schools,” Hanakhoy says. She adds that she loves to visualise herself as Meena, and like her attends school regularly, studies attentively, befriends classmates and tries to help others.

“But I remember they were very addictive. I used to see the same episodes over and over again.

Influencing lives Shafiqul says that too many street-based boys and girls are exposed to child marriage, pregnancies and even child prostitution. “Meena helped me to differentiate right from the wrong,” says an indebted Shafiqul.

Another beneficiary of “Meena’s magic” is Shafiqul Islam Khan, who was once confined to a life on the streets.

The episode on child marriage and dowry not only helped to lift his life from ruin but also landed him in the safe hands of a UNICEF partner Aparajeyo Bangla (a local nongovernmental organisation).

He recalls how Meena helped to transform his life and saved him from the path of ruin.

Through a dramatic turn of events he has now been reintegrated with his lost family after 15 years.

Shafiqul ended up lost and alone in Dhaka after a misadventure on a train. He was forced to embrace the cruel life of a street kid, working as a porter, rag-picker, ice cream vendor and hotel boy.

“I also learnt of the importance of saving and how to become financially sound from Meena.

The magic of Meena

In the course of this existence, he was exposed to many evils including petty theft and under-aged sex. But he says that his life, about to be wasted, was salvaged through the influence of Meena. Shafiqul says that there were particular episodes of Meena that changed the course of his life, preventing him from

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© UNICEF/2013

Hanakhoy loved Meena (who is known as Marma to suit the local dialect in the Chittagong Hill Tracts) so passionately that she would dress herself like the popular cartoon character.


“Influenced by that I saved money that I earned as an ice-cream vendor and bought a small piece of land in Chittagong where I now live with my mother and brother,” Shafiqul says while relating the compelling story of his life. r This project is funded by UNICEF’s Regular Resources.

IN FOCUS

Children live Meena’s experience

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umi, a child of 12, is dressed in all her finery; dangling earrings, red printed shalwar kameez, her hair neatly parted and held back with a colourful band.

She has an excited look on her face; she has a busy air and is eager to begin her day. The monotony of her daily routine in the slums of Korail is being interrupted. She along with 29 others of her age are boarding a bus because they have been selected to attend an Interactive Popular Theatre (IPT) training workshop in Lalmatia, Dhaka. It is the first time that something like this has happened in their lives. The five-day workshop involves children learning how to sing, dance and act. The best part of it all is that at the end of the course Sumi and her friends put on a show for others to enjoy.

Enacting dream roles “I love to sing and dance and now I know how to talk like my favourite cartoon characters Meena, Raju and Mithu,” she says. “Here at the workshop I got to play Raju, my favourite character. I put on a big puppet head and acted like him in front of everybody. “I love Meena with all my heart and I was ecstatic to have the opportunity to be one of my favourite characters and learn to do the things they do in the shows. I saw three Meena shows in our slums,” Sumi says.

Arif, a boy the same age as Sumi, is dressed in a fluorescent yellow shirt. “I love to wear the muppet head of Meena’s pet parrot Mithu,” he says, and I love to echo Raju’s voice in Mithu’s nasal tone.

Changing habits “I am delighted to talk about the importance of hygiene, proper toilet manners and other such important aspects of our lives that we rarely carry out in the slums. And when Meena is asking us to do something we cannot ignore that,” says Sumi. “After each show we interact with the audience and demostrate good practices,” says Sumi. “Meena is popular among children living in the slums because they can relate to her and they respond quickly to her messages,” says theatre activist and workshop facilitator Kazi Shila. “First of all she is of their age and the way she thinks and the things she says or does are what these children want to do but are held back from actually doing. “These kids see themselves in Meena and they live their childhood through her. “Meena is easily acceptable to them and the puppets boost their self-esteem and confidence levels so we work with them for theatre exercises,” she adds. r This project is funded by UNICEF’s Regular Resources.

© UNICEF/BANA2012-01832/Khan

Sumi especially enjoyed wearing the big wobbly muppet head of Meena and was one of the stars of the workshop.

“I have learnt from Meena that it is important to wash our hands before eating and now I can act and show it to my other friends at the slums,” Sumi says.

A schoolgirl is taught how to wash her hands with soap during a Meena muppet show in a slum in Dhaka.


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EVENTS

Meena’s 21st birthday: UNICEF honours media for upholding child rights

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NICEF along with its partners celebrate the 21st birthday of Meena, an animated cartoon character who has successfully championed the cause of deprived children across South Asia.

With the slogan “Quality education prevents children from child marriages and child labour,” Meena’s 21st birthday was celebrated all over the country through different events. The day coincided with the Ninth Meena Media Award 2013. Altogether 33 media professionals were honoured for their outstanding contribution in promoting child rights in the national media. The awards bring children’s voices to the forefront of public attention. Information Minister Hasanul Haq Inu, UNICEF’s National Goodwill Ambassadors actress Arifa Zaman Moushumi, magician Jewel Ich and UNICEF Representative Pascal Villeneuve presented the awards to the winners at a ceremony held in Dhaka.

By recognising the important role of the media, he urged journalists to combat “negative social norms” that perpetuate around thorny issues such as child marriage, child labour and incorrect infant and child feeding practices. The Information Minister called for a concerted effort to ensure that girl children receive a better education in line with “the spirit of Meena”. “Only education can give us a better future - without educating our girl child we would not be able to ensure our strong presence in the present world,” he says. Amid intense competition, award nominees were selected by a panel of judges through a competitive process from print, television and radio. The first, second, and third award recipients of each category and age-groups received Tk 50,000 ($640), Tk 25,000 ($320) and Tk 15,000 ($190) in cash prizes respectively in addition to a crest and a certificate.

© UNICEF/2013/Haque/Drik

Congratulating participants and award winners, Pascal Villeneuve says, “We admire your efforts and continuous support to make children’s voices heard through your

journalistic work, which is the main spirit of the Meena Media Award - advancing child rights in the media.”

Information Minister Hasanul Huq Inu, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors Jewel Aich, Arifa Zaman Moushumi and UNICEF Representative Pascal Villeneuve participate with children in celebrating Meena’s 21st birthday.

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EVENTS

SNAPSHOTS OF MEENA MEDIA AWARD 2013

An eight member expert panel of judges comprising of creative writers, veteran media professionals and academics assessed each entry through a strict marking process where the names of the participants were replaced by a specific code number. The judges Selina Hossain, Farid Hossain, Robaet Ferdous, Fahmidul Haque, Zakir Hossain Razu, Samia Zaman, Ratan Paul and Qadir Kollol. To add a festive feel to the occasion, children from disadvantaged group’s performed in the programme.

The Meena Media Award was introduced by UNICEF in 2005 to celebrate excellence in journalism. The award is named after Meena, a popular animation character held dear by children and adults alike in Bangladesh for her efforts to champion the rights of children across South Asia. r

This project is funded by UNICEF’s Regular Resources.


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EVENTS

Child Equity Atlas: Call for Child-focused investment in pockets of Deprivation

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angladesh has made significant progress in many key social areas over the last 10 years including reduction in under-five mortality rates, number of out- of-school children and teenage marriages.

Women and Children Affairs State Minister Meher Afrorze Chumki highlights the reduction in child marriages in her speech and stressed the need for more in-depth analysis on violence against children, particularly the girl child and women.

In addition, it has made significant progress in achieving gender parity in education and youth literacy. However, progress in attaining equity is uneven and disparities still exist in the provision of basic social services in specific geographic regions or pockets.

“The report recognises the impact of inequalities on national development,” says, Pascal Villeneuve, UNICEF Bangladesh Representative.

The Child Equity Atlas: Pockets of Social Deprivation is a joint report issued by Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) of the Government of Bangladesh and UNICEF. It analysed data of the 2011 Census to identify patterns of social inequality and pockets of social deprivation. The report compared data from the 2001 census to see how much progress had been made by children, young people and women in the country. “The Child Equity Atlas will steer Bangladesh’s socioeconomic development towards more inclusive and child-equity focused investments for the next decade, leading to a vision of attaining middle income status by 2021 when the next census is due,” says Planning Minister AK Khandker.

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“It is a wake-up call for commitment to the most marginalised and excluded areas to ensure that not a single child is left behind,” he says. “Some of the key indicators in this Child Equity Atlas such as child labour, out of school children, female teenage marriage, youth literacy are areas where additional policy and budgetary support are needed,” he says. Education rights activist and former caretaker government adviser Rasheda K Chowdhury, economist and former caretaker government advisor Hossain Zillur Rahman also took part in the discussions among others. r This project is funded by UNICEF’s Regular Resources.

EVENTS

Child-focused budgeting Launched

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inance Minister Abul Maal A Muhith has reaffirmed the commitment of his government to implement child-focused budgeting from 2014-15 fiscal year onwards.

Child-focused budgeting is also an explicit policylevel commitment to fulfil the obligations enshrined in Bangladesh’s constitution as well as in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

He made the pledge while launching the Child-Focused Budgeting Framework: Investing for the Equitable Realization of the Rights of Children in Bangladesh.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Md Motahar Hossain, and State Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki pledged their continued support towards a “child-responsive budget” in Bangladesh.

It is the first time that Bangladesh has launched a childfocused budgeting framework designed to provide policy makers, parliamentarians, civil-society organisations, development partners and researchers with budget related information to prioritise children’s rights and needs.

Sector specialists and leading economists who attended the launch also emphasised the need for adoption of child focused budgeting framework.

It also proposes improved financial efficiency in the use of resources for children. The event was organised by UNICEF and its partner organizations.

The Child-Focused Budgeting Framework: Investing for the Equitable Realization of the Rights of Children in Bangladesh document is available at the link below:

UNICEF Representative Pascal Villeneuve says that childfocused budgeting provides “a framework to guide the nature and scope of public sector investments that directly or indirectly influences the realisation of children’s socioeconomic rights.

http://www.unicef.org/bangladesh/ knowledgecentre_8303.htm r

© UNICEF/2013/Martin/Drik

“It sets in motion an upward spiral of inclusive, sustainable growth and human development that benefits the entire society,” he says.

This project is funded by UNICEF’s Regular Resources.

The Child focused budgeting framework in Bangladesh is officially unveiled by distinguished panel guests (standing right to left) Sadiq Ahmed, Vice Chairman, Policy Research Institute, Pascal Villeneuve, Representative, UNICEF Bangladesh, Meher Afroze Chumki, State Minister, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Abul Maal Abdul Muhith, Minister, Ministry of Finance and Md. Motahar Hossain, State Minister, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education.


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WITH THANKS

Voices of people involved “The idea of Meena came to me in a waking dream in March 1990, just after I joined UNICEF. It was the SAARC Year of the Girl Child and there was much to do! But the dream was only realised through the creativity and hard work of the team of artists, researchers, trainers, facilitators, programmers and partners who brought, and continue to bring, Meena into the hearts and minds of millions of children and families in Asia and the Pacific to this day. Thank you!” Neill Mckee, Behavior Change Communication Expert “In 1991, a nine year old girl Meena was born in the labour room of the Programme Communication and Information Section (PCIS) of UNICEF Bangladesh. Neil Mckee was the traditional birth attendant. I assisted him. At that time, Meena was assigned to promote girls’ education in South Asia. In two decades, she outperformed her assignment and became the ambassador of development communication not only for South Asia but also for the entire developing world.” Shamsuddin Ahmed, Journalist and Communication Expert

“During the formative stage of Meena, UNICEF involved a number of cartoonists from Bangladesh including myself. We were all told to illustrate Meena in different ways. I presented her in a sari as most Bangladeshi girls usually wear it. But in the final production, I was rather shocked to see her wearing a different attire. This was probably done to give her a uniquely South Asian look. In the end, Meena became immensely popular not only in Bangladesh but across the region”. Rafiqun Nabi, Artist and Cartoonist

“Meena’s versatility is limitless. She has made an enduring shift for the girl child from being just a ‘pretty little thing’ to someone who can change communities and the way they think. Her words inspire and leave a mark. I wish her a long life.” Dr Mira B Aghi, Researcher

“It is with the greatest joy that I hear of our darling Meena’s 21st birthday. I think with great gladness and gratitude of the many brilliant and creative people who have nurtured Meena over the years and helped her to flourish - along with Raju and Mithu, of course!” Rachel Carnegie, Communication expert

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SPEAK OUT

in the making of Meena “For over two decades Meena, our eternal nine-year-old girl child, has been reaching out to millions of her sisters in South Asia with stories that bring them good cheer, hope, and a spirit of empowerment through the magic of animation. May she continue to be their constant friend, beacon and role model.” Ram Mohan, Animation developer, creative director and Producer

“I have followed Meena’s journey for two decades. She has invaded territories that we never dreamt of … inspiring millions, across borders. Girls and boys and communities have voiced that “Meena” is meaningful in their lives -- they aspire to be like her. I feel humbled to be a part of the momentum that transformed Meena into a ‘human” but “immortal character!” Nuzhat Shahzadi, UNICEF Staff

Meena created awareness and advocated for reducing existing disparities and differential treatment against girls. Meena became the adorable daughter, who brought in positive changes in her family, neighbourhood and community.” Prof (Dr) Tehmina Hussain, Retired Secretary, Government of Bangladesh

“Using advanced platforms such as facebook and twitter in further popularising her (Meena) would be a timely step. But certain things have to be ensured in the process so that the target children, who are mostly from villages, are not overlooked. Mustafa Monwar, Creative and TV personality

Meena has definitely made a contribution towards developing positive attitudes of the educated middle class and decision-making class. She is remembered by many and is still popular amongst certain groups of viewers. So her impact has certainly been felt. The challenge now is to see how Meena can work for future generations.” Afsan Chowdhury, Journalist and Communication Expert

“Happy Birthday little Meena! Your questioning gives voice to other children; your actions inspire others to act; your playfulness and fun remind us that every child has the right to a childhood.” Deepa Balsavar, Story writer


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NEWS IN BRIEF

Celebrity trio to champion children’s cause

W

ith a vow to ‘Perform a Magical Act for Children’ national cricket super-star Shakib Al Hasan, magician Jewel Aich and actress Moushumi have joined forces with UNICEF as National Goodwill Ambassadors to support deprived children of Bangladesh.

“It has made me happier than anything to work for children, mainly those who are disadvantaged,” Shakib Al Hasan – Bangladesh’s most celebrated cricketer and one of the top all-rounders in the world, says while signing his UNICEF contract.

The trio will work with UNICEF to promote awareness of child rights and knowledge of social norms in areas such as child labour, violence against children and child marriage.

Award-winning magician Jewel Aich -- one of South Asia’s best known magicians -- says there is an urgent need for a unified effort to advance the cause of children. He says that he was motivated to help out after seeing poor children work in crammed and filthy environments to earn money for their families.

© UNICEF/2013/Martin/Drik

They will work to encourage mothers to register their children’s births, promote maternal and child health, help

(Left to right) Moushumi, Shakib Al Hasan, Pascal Villeneuve and Jewel Aich speak to members of the press as they join forces to support the deprived children of Bangladesh.

children with HIV/AIDS and strive to provide better social protection for children living in urban slums. “Our National Goodwill Ambassadors are chosen not only because of the recognition that they have, but more importantly, because of the respect they hold and their commitment as child rights activists,” says UNICEF Bangladesh Representative Pascal Villeneuve. “We are confident that the prestige, talent and presence that they bring to children’s issues will help UNICEF send powerful messages to the hearts and minds of people,” he adds. The National Goodwill Ambassadors seem ready for the challenge. To subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, or to send comments to the editor, please email: [email protected]

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UNICEF Bangladesh BSL Office Complex, 1, Minto Road, Dhaka 1000 Bangladesh


Renowned actress Moushumi – founder of the Mousumi Welfare Foundation -- says that she wanted in particular to help girl children. “Our society in general does not respect girls and in the back of our minds we feel that girls should be in the kitchen, this needs to be change,” she laments. Children in Bangladesh account for about 40 per cent of the total population. An estimated 17 million are living under the poverty threshold. Improving the lives of these children must remain a national priority if the country is to achieve its vision of achieving middle-income status.

For more information about UNICEF Bangladesh, or to download this newsletter, please visit: www.unicef.org.bd