Exploring Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs About Child Marriage in Bangladesh Through a Transmedia Entertainment-Education Initative
Abstract
Despite widespread condemnation of child marriage in Bangladesh, the practice is still deeply ingrained in Bangladeshi society. Multiple initiatives have been developed to end child marriage, yet prevalence rates have only been decreasing slowly. In 2017, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), The Government of Bangladesh’s Ministry of Children and Women’s Affairs, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and other partners launched a transmedia campaign, Icchedana, to address social norms surrounding several issues surrounding the well-being of adolescent girls. Data were collected in 2017 and 2019. After conducting a literature review and identifying five determinants of child marriage (poverty, the practice of dowry, family honour, education, and violence against women and girls) in Bangladesh, we used questions that were specifically relevant to child marriage. Two questions from each level of the social-ecological model (SEM) were selected. The SEM was utilized in this paper because it acknowledges that change must occur at each level for change to occur. The findings show that having watched Icchedana was associated with positive attitudes towards ending child marriage in Bangladesh and provide insight into the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about child marriage in Bangladesh.
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