Child marriage, a prevalent concern in Bangladesh with a staggering 51% rate, predominantly affects rural areas. Families, driven by societal norms, peer pressure, and economic instability, often rush to marry off their daughters as soon as they reach puberty.
To counter this trend, Brac's Social Empowerment and Legal Protection Program launched village-based "Shopnosarthi" teams in 2023, covering 31 districts. The program focuses on adolescent girls aged 13 to 17.
These teams aim to raise awareness about child marriage and empower these girls to play a pivotal role in its prevention. A comprehensive list comprising around 54,000 adolescent girls at risk of child marriage has been prepared and the aim is to establish Shopnosarthi groups with these girls, fostering life skills and bolstering their confidence through development initiatives. Consequently, these girls will be equipped to recognize the signs of child marriage and actively engage in preventing it. This initiative spans 240 upazilas across 31 districts in Bangladesh.
In each upazila, 2,340 Shopnosarthi teams have been established. Notably, two such groups are active in villages named Jamua and Chokshialkol in Sirajganj, comprising girls aged 13-17.
The Shopnosarthi program involves 24 sessions in these villages, with three sessions already completed, amounting to one session per month. The primary objective of these sessions is to empower these young girls to protect themselves from child marriage and extend their support to others in similar vulnerable situations.
In conversations with the girls from Jamua village, their diverse dreams became evident. Some aspire to become police officers, standing alongside their village in times of danger, while others dream of becoming doctors to help everyone in need. These determined young minds, all studying in classes 8 to 10, face various challenges on their way to and from school, enduring inappropriate comments from mischievous boys while finding it difficult to voice their protests.
Tonni, for instance, dreams of joining the Navy after completing her studies. She adamantly opposes the idea of getting married at this stage, expressing her desire to support her family when she grows up.
Reflecting the sentiments of many guardians, a mother named Renuka emphasized her wish for her daughter to continue her education and grow into a confident individual. Despite immense societal pressure for early marriages, Renuka firmly stands against it. Mahbuba Khatun echoed similar concerns, highlighting the physical and future complications associated with marrying off young girls, a fate none of them wish upon their daughters.
Shikha, a determined 17-year-old studying in class XI, dreams of becoming a teacher. After completing her SSC exams, marriage proposals began pouring in and her family started pressuring her. Shikha's parents, eager to marry her off swiftly, assure her that she can continue her studies even after marriage.
However, Shikha bravely voiced her concerns to her family, explaining that marriage would bring additional responsibilities, potentially disrupting her education.
Alongside her studies, she engages in tutoring and assists her parents, displaying determination and resilience.
Besides losing the opportunity to have a better future and being able to support their parents, many girls subjected to child marriage have to endure domestic violence, trapping them in a cycle of despair and suffering.
The Brac Social Empowerment and Legal Protection Program offers crucial legal assistance to women in need. Through its efforts, they have observed that a significant number of torture victims have suffered due to early marriages.
Child marriage stands as a universally recognized illegal act, prompting numerous global initiatives aimed at eradicating this practice. Experience has shown that empowering girls, enhancing their life skills, and mobilizing communities are effective strategies in the fight against child marriage.
Shashwatee Biplob, program head in-charge of the Social Empowerment and Legal Protection (SELP) Program, Brac highlighted the pressing issue of child marriage, with rates currently hovering around 52%.
She said: “Poverty plays a significant role in forcing young girls into early marriages. Moreover, societal perceptions often regard girls as burdens, leading families to believe that marrying them off young is a solution. This mindset persists, reinforced by the notion that younger girls are easier to control, learn family etiquette quickly, and are less likely to voice their opinions.”
Shaswati also shed light on the profitable aspect of child marriages for certain individuals, such as Kazis or Imams, who conduct these marriages illegally and amass substantial sums of money.
“Brac's efforts to combat child marriage often face challenges when families insist on marrying off their daughters with no valid reasons to prevent it. In response, after each session, Brac conducts regular home visits to ensure the well-being of the girls and assess if any familial pressure exists to marry them off. If such pressure is identified, the team intervenes by engaging in conversations with the families involved. These initiatives are part of Brac's ongoing dedication to preventing child marriages and fostering a better future for these young girls,” she added.
Conditions for membership in Shopnosarthi:
- Age should be between 13 to 17 years
- Must be an unmarried teenager
- Must be a permanent resident of the village or area concerned
- Must be interested in participating in meetings, sessions and events
- Preference will be given to girls with disabilities and school dropouts
The purpose of forming Shopnosarthi
- Making adolescents confident through skills development
- Cooperate with each other and take team action to solve problems
- To create awareness about and prevent child marriage
Work of Shopnosarthi members
- Forming themselves as a team and following team rules
- Assisting in conducting various meetings and life skills sessions and attending on time
- Applying learnings from life skills sessions and discussing them with others
- To share information among themselves against child marriage
- Cooperate in each other's education
- Keep the Shopnosarthi free from child marriage.
Following activities are being conducted for the empowerment of adolescent girls:
- Life skills training
- Financial assistance (being piloted in 100 villages)
- Guardian's meeting
- Social awareness
- Meeting with watch group
- Success Celebration Ceremony (Graduation)