Call to reform registration laws for protecting women's rights

The private research organisation 'Knowledge for Progress' (Progga) has demanded reforms to the Birth and Death Registration Act to protect the rights of women and girl children.

The organisation states that without a robust registration system, it is difficult to ensure women's education, healthcare, social security and legal rights.

International Women's Day will be observed tomorrow, March 8, with the theme 'Today's step, tomorrow's justice, let the rights of women and girls be protected'.

In a statement on Saturday, Progga said that a girl child's birth registration is the first step towards her future protection. Without birth registration, age cannot be proven, which becomes a major obstacle in preventing child marriage. This increases the risk of teenage motherhood, deprivation of education, and the likelihood of becoming a victim of violence.

The organisation further stated that the absence of registration also increases the risk of women falling into trafficking and hazardous labour. Similarly, without death registration, it becomes difficult to secure a woman's property after her death, which also increases the risk of family disputes.

According to Progga, despite the commitment to ensure registration for all by 2030, nearly half of the country's population remains outside the registration system. Legal limitations also pose a major obstacle to ensuring 100 per cent registration.

Experts suggest that if the Birth and Death Registration Act is amended to make healthcare institutions responsible for registration instead of the family-dependent system, nearly 67 per cent of children born in hospitals could be automatically registered at birth.

Progga's Executive Director ABM Zubayer said, "A woman's rights begin with her legal identity. If health centre-based registration is made mandatory, 100 per cent registration within the stipulated time will be achievable. This will also pave the way for protecting women's rights and establishing justice."