Kolkata, Aug 12 (PTI) Anushree Haldar, a 20-year-old resident of West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, along with some other students, took a pledge on the occasion of International Youth Day to fight social ills such as child marriages and gender-based violence.Haldar, a victim of child marriage herself, was also among the 14 young champions who were awarded on Friday at a programme here, organised by Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and UNICEF, for their contribution to social causes in various parts of the state.A BA second-year student of Berhampore College, Haldar said, “After my father’s death, I was forced to marry at the age of 17, following my Madhyamik examination. Marriage of teenagers are common in my village, but I wanted to pursue higher education.” Not wanting to give up on her dream, she contacted social organisations, the police and Childline, a helpline for children in distress, seeking help to return home to continue her studies.“With help from these organisations, I was able to convince my mother to allow me to pursue higher education. She now keeps money aside for my education from whatever little she makes at the grocery shop owned by her. Once I complete my education and take up a job, I will ensure a better life for the two of us,” Haldar asserted.The 20-year-old student also noted that underage marriages happen were “quite rampant in our district”.“I try to create awareness among my friends as much as I can about marriage, child education and gender equality,” she added.Like Haldar, Sana Tahseen of Kolkata, Haripada Mahato of Malda, Soumen Das of Jalpaiguri, Arnab Roy of Purba Bardhaman were also awarded for their role in preventing child marriages and generating awareness on the need for education.“Youth will always be a part of action to transform the existing negative social norms so that positive changes are reinforced across generations. Our organisation and affiliated youth clubs will continue working closely with UNICEF to address the issues of child marriage, violence against children, gender-based violence and gender inequality,” Rajib Majumdar, director of NYKS in West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, said.Budding environmentalist Prasanta Sarkar of Basanti in South 24 Parganas district was hailed for his initiatives to protect mangroves in the Sundarbans from various disasters.National-level hockey player Sudeshna Bera, a resident of Paschim Medinipur, was awarded for creating awareness on gender equality through sports.UNICEF has been supporting initiatives involving the youth at college and university levels in the state to uproot social evils from the society.“Young ones have the most critical role to play in bringing about any change. UNICEF has been addressing social issues at the community level for the last few years, Now, more men and boys are being engaged to build gender egalitarian norms,” Swapnodipa Biswas, Child Protection Officer of UNICEF West Bengal, said at the programme. PTI MM RMS RMS