Child marriage, unequal access to education and health care, and concerns over safety remain key issues for adolescent girls in Bangladesh, who have called for stronger action to secure their rights and opportunities.
The call came at an event organized by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) in Dhaka on Monday to mark International Day of the Girl Child 2026.
Held at Alok Auditorium in Mirpur-2 under the theme “End Child Marriage and Invest in Girls’ Rights,” the event brought together adolescent girls, civil society representatives and development partners to discuss child marriage, educational inequality, disability rights and the challenges girls face at home, in schools and online.
Addressing the event, Shaheen Anam, executive director of MJF, said celebrating girls’ achievements was insufficient without creating opportunities for them to exercise their rights.
“Simply saying that girls will conquer the world is not enough. We must ask how they will achieve that and what opportunities we are creating for them,” she said.
She said child marriage violated girls’ fundamental rights, including their ability to make decisions about their own lives, while undermining their education, health and future employment. Poverty, insecurity and a lack of alternatives often influenced families’ decisions to marry off their daughters, she added.
Shaheen Anam also questioned the effectiveness of existing child marriage prevention mechanisms, calling for stronger enforcement of laws and greater accountability from government institutions at the national and local levels.
Presenting the keynote, Lysa Mahmud Hema, assistant project manager at MJF, cited research findings showing that 47.2% of women aged 20–24 were married before turning 18, while 13.4% were married before the age of 15.
She also highlighted a decline in girls’ educational completion rates, from 91.3% at the primary level to 75.9% at the lower secondary level and 41.1% at the upper secondary level.
She called for greater investment in education, protection, health care, digital skills and girls’ participation in decisions affecting their lives.
During an intergenerational dialogue moderated by Nusrat Fatima, media and communication officer at MJF, adolescent girls shared their experiences of discrimination and challenged social norms restricting their choices.
Sumaiya Akter of SERAC Bangladesh stressed that education was essential for girls to make independent decisions.
Sadia Akter Eva, a student living in a shelter home associated with Maer Achol, highlighted unequal access to sports facilities, saying boys often received more time and resources.
Tasneem Ferdousi, a student of BISC, questioned the social perception that girls were ready for marriage after puberty, despite being children who lacked the emotional maturity to manage a household and raise children.
Other participants highlighted menstruation-related stigma, ethnic discrimination, language barriers and difficulties accessing education.
Ayesa Akter, an adolescent girl with a visual impairment, called for accessible learning materials, including Braille and audio resources, saying girls with disabilities needed equal rights and opportunities rather than sympathy.
Wadifa Rahman Apshara of SFX Greenherald International School also urged the government, communities and educational institutions to address the widening gap in educational completion.
Roksana Sultana, executive director of Breaking the Silence; Nishath Sultana, director of influencing campaign and communications at Plan International Bangladesh; and SM Shaikat, executive director of SERAC-Bangladesh, also spoke at the event.
Speakers said poverty, climate vulnerability and safety concerns continued to push families toward child marriage despite girls’ achievements in education and sports.
The program also featured cultural performances by children associated with Maer Achol.
In his closing remarks, Wasiur Rahman Tonmoy, lead of youth and social cohesion at MJF, thanked the participating girls, partner organizations and development partners, including the European Union, Global Affairs Canada, the Embassy of Switzerland, Plan International Bangladesh and Nagorikata CEF.
The event concluded with a call for concrete action to keep girls in education, protect them from violence and child marriage, and ensure their equal participation in society.