Nearly one in every four married adolescents in Bangladesh have begun childbearing, giving the country the highest rate of adolescent pregnancy in South Asia.
The adolescent birth per 1,000 girls aged 15-19 years in the country is 74, said a new report by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
The report shows that 51% of girls are married before they reach the age of 18 in Bangladesh, with 27% being married before they turn 15. As a result, Bangladesh has the highest rate of child marriage in Asia.
Meanwhile, the maternal mortality ratio is reported at 123 deaths per 100,000 lives.
A global report book titled “8 Billion Lives, Infinite Possibilities: The Case for Rights and Choices" was published worldwide on April 19. The local launch of UNFPA's flagship publication for the report book was held in Dhaka on Sunday.
The UNFPA publishes its flagship publication, the State of the World Population Report, every year. It examines significant global developments and demographic trends.
The report said population trends are real and enormously impactful. They affect culture and social relations, economies, and political discourse.
These factors shape people's attitudes toward climate change, determine resource allocation, dictate responses to changes in the workforce, and impact numerous other areas.
In November 2022, the world's population reached a record 8 billion, the report said.
The world is facing a variety of challenges due to population trends, including financial crises, declining social conditions, and worsening quality of life.
Additionally, global issues like climate change are becoming more severe. As a result, some individuals believe that fertility policies can be used to manage population growth and that limiting the number of children is the key.
In this regard, UNFPA representative of Bangladesh Kristine Blokhus said women are suffering collateral damage in the whole situation.
"It is often assumed that the responsibility of controlling the world population lies on women's childbearing. However, this does not solely depend on fertility policies," said Blokhus.
Reflecting on women's suffering, she also noted that there is a lack of gender equality, and women have no freedom of decision-making for their sexual and reproductive health.
Regarding Bangladesh, Blokhus said some 23% of women are subjected to violence by their partners, and two-thirds of women do not have decision-making power regarding their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).
As per the census data, females (50.43%) outnumber males (49.51%) in Bangladesh, which carries significant implications for both society and the economy. The population's age structure indicates a demographic transition, with 26% of the population aged between 0-14, 68% aged between 15-64, and 6% aged 65 or older, she added.
The total fertility rate has decreased to near or below the replacement level, at 1.9 per woman in 2023. Yet this milestone has been met with considerable anxiety. The world exceeded 8 billion people at a moment of overlapping and escalating crisis, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the dawning climate catastrophe and historic levels of mass displacement, the expert noted.
Around 50% of pregnancies are unintended, and around half a million births occur to young adolescents every year.
According to the latest data on Sustainable Development Goals, approximately 44% of women in 68 countries lack decision-making power regarding healthcare, contraception, or sexual activity.
The report by UNFPA suggested that every individual has the fundamental right to freely decide the number, timing, and age gaps between their children.
Women must have the security of being able to make decisions on sexual and reproductive health without any discrimination, coercion, or violence. The services aimed at achieving these reproductive goals should be accessible, affordable, and meet international quality standards.
Reproductive health services should include contraception, comprehensive sexual education, safe abortion where it is permitted by law, post-abortion care, and infertility care, the report said.
