Photo: BSS

RAJSHAHI, Nov 11, 2025 (BSS)- Speakers at a dialogue here today unanimously viewed that the role of the teachers is very vital to protect the children from sexual exploitation and other cruelties, repressions  and oppressions.

Each of the schools has a committee to prevent sexual exploitation but many of those remained non-functional. Making the committees functional has become the demand of time, they said. 

Teachers and child leaders made these remarks while addressing a dialogue on preventing child sexual exploitation at Hotel Warisan, emphasizing the need for creating positive change by building partnerships between children and teachers.

The dialogue was organised by the Association for Community Development (ACD) under the project titled "Children Know Better: Making Child Participation the Key to Improving Effectiveness of Action against Sexual Exploitation of Children" supported by ECPAT International.

Aims of the initiative was to strengthen child protection systems, raise awareness on safeguarding policies, and promote active participation of children to ensure their safety from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect.

A total of 35 head teachers from Mohanpur and Godagari upazilas and Rajshahi City Corporation joined the event. 

District Education Officer Abdul Wahab, ACD Project Coordinators Subrata Kumar Paul and Ali Ahmed and teachers Abdul Alim Sheikh, Haider Ali, Sadikul Islam, Monowara Paervin, Mirazul Haque and Obaidul Haque Jamal Uddin Biswas addressed the meeting.

Two child researchers Aleuya Khatun and Shahriar Islam presented their study findings, sharing insights into the research process, data collection, and outcomes.

The child-led initiative aims to strengthen advocacy capacity among children and provide adult facilitators with training and support to guide child-centered research and advocacy on preventing sexual exploitation.

The project fosters inclusive spaces and collaborative processes for both children and adults to co-create adaptive strategies for child protection based on children’s lived realities.

Child leaders also discussed their ongoing advocacy plans, challenges, and coordination strategies, while teachers emphasized the importance of including children in school-based child protection committees.

The main objective was to build leadership skills among children and empower them to prevent sexual exploitation through participatory research and data analysis.

The project is intended to improve child protection and build trust and cooperation between children and adults.