Two high-ranking US government officials, Democrat Congresswoman Betty McCollum and ambassador-at-large for global women's issues Melanne Verveer, are scheduled to visit Dhaka on Wednesday to meet with government officials, community leaders, and civil society members involved in women's rights advocacy. Their visit aims to not only promote US policies on women, health, and education, but also to engage with Bangladeshi government officials and non-governmental organizations on various issues such as maternal and child health, access to education for girls, child marriage, gender-based violence, human trafficking, and the role of women in addressing climate change. McCollum, who has been serving in the US Congress for six terms, has recently introduced legislation that recognizes child marriage as a human rights violation and advocates for its elimination as a US foreign policy objective. The legislation also mandates that USAID and the State Department gather and share information on the frequency of child marriage and how it affects important US development objectives. As the director of the Department of State's office on global women's issues, Verveer is responsible for overseeing foreign policy matters and initiatives that promote the political, economic, and social progress of women worldwide. Verveer is scheduled to travel to Nepal on January 6, while McCollum will remain in Bangladesh until January 10, as stated in the media release.