Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh Demand End to Child Marriage and Equal Rights

• Adolescent girls in Bangladesh are calling for the end of child marriage, access to quality education, safe environments, and equal opportunities.
• The initiative, held on the International Day of the Girl Child 2026 in Dhaka, empowered girls to lead the dialogue on their own rights rather than having adults speak for them.

Alarming Statistics

• According to data from UNICEF, UNFPA, and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS):
  • 47.2% of women aged 20–24 were married before age 18.
  • 13.4% were married before age 15.
  • Secondary school completion rates drop sharply from 91.3% at the primary level to just 41.1% at the upper secondary level.

Key Barriers Identified by Youth

• Education and Autonomy: Lack of education hinders girls' ability to make career and personal life decisions.
• Sports Disparity: Schools continue to prioritize boys for sports time and resources.
• Intersectionality: Ongoing challenges regarding menstrual stigma, ethnic discrimination, and the need for mother-tongue instruction.
• Disability Inclusion: Calls for accessible learning materials, such as Braille, to ensure equal rights for girls with disabilities.
• Root Causes: Extreme poverty, climate change, and lack of social safety systems drive families to force early marriages.

Institutional Requirements

• Advocates, including MJF leadership, urge the government and international partners to move beyond awareness campaigns.
• There is an urgent need for rigorous policy enforcement, greater institutional accountability, and direct investment in educational infrastructure.