With World Mental Health Day observed on October 10 and International Day of the Girl Child on October 11, an important question arises for Bangladesh: How are we doing in terms of mental health and gender inequality?
Bangladesh undoubtedly continues to make progress; even during the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic, despite the dire warnings, we were able to navigate through all the difficulties, rightfully receiving plaudits at home and abroad for not only how we vaccinated the nation, but how we were able to keep the momentum of our economic growth.
With 2030 looming, however, and with Bangladesh’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals, in addition to solidifying itself as a middle-income economy, much more needs to be done when it comes to supporting girls and women.
Similarly, as has now been firmly established, a country’s prosperity is without value if its people do not reflect that prosperity as well. As such, along with the physical well-being of all Bangladeshis, it is equally important to keep in mind the importance of mental health.
The Covid-19 pandemic has weakened economies across the globe - and Bangladesh is no different - when it comes to both the issues of mental health and gender inequality. Bangladesh in particular has seen an alarming rise in child marriage over the past two years, as poor and newly poor families have been compelled to marry off their children, the majority being girls, during school closure.
As we slowly but surely move past the pandemic, and as Bangladesh once again looks to increase its GDP growth, our authorities must also not neglect other issues that continue to exist within the country, among which, opportunities for girls and women, and the overall mental health of Bangladeshis, remain areas that must be prioritized if Bangladesh is to ever reach its full potential.