As Bangladesh joins the world in marking the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we reaffirm our commitment to protecting our children from harmful practices that shatter their potential. Child marriage remains one of the most pervasive violations of children’s rights, robbing millions of Bangladeshi girls of their childhood, education, and dreams.
Although Bangladesh has achieved remarkable progress - - reducing child marriage rates from over 90% in the 1970s to 51% today -- this practice still plagues too many lives. It perpetuates cycles of violence, poverty, and inequality, undermining our national development goals. As the 16 Days of Activism inspire global solidarity to end gender-based violence, this is the time to take bold action to strengthen child protection systems and empower our social workers, communities, and institutions to end child marriage.
The unseen harm of child marriage
Child marriage is both a cause and a consequence of violence and gender inequality. Married girls are often deprived of education, forced into early pregnancies, and subjected to domestic violence. Their health, autonomy, and aspirations are sacrificed to uphold harmful social norms.
This is not just a tragedy for more than half of our girls -- it is a crisis for communities and a violation of their human and women rights. Girls who are married early are four times more likely to drop out of school and three times more likely to experience intimate partner violence than their unmarried peers[1]. The broader cost is staggering child marriage undermines our economy, with significant losses in productivity and increased healthcare burdens due to early pregnancies and related complications[2]. These early pregnancies are foremost a lethal threat for our girls, and they also generate extra costs for the healthcare system that could be prevented.
The root causes
Child marriage is deeply rooted in poverty, social norms, and a lack of robust protection systems. Families, particularly in rural and disaster-prone areas, often regretfully resort to child marriage to alleviate their economic needs or protect girls from societal pressures. Climate-induced shocks, such as floods and cyclones, exacerbate these challenges, leaving vulnerable families with few alternatives.
While laws like the Child Marriage Restraint Act provide critical safeguards, enforcement gaps remain a challenge. Weak local governance, limited awareness, and inadequate investments in child protection systems hinder progress. Social workers, who are at the frontline of child protection, often operate without the necessary resources and capacity to effectively intervene.
Strengthening child protection systems
Ending child marriage requires the foundation of a strong, responsive child protection system. Social workers play a pivotal role in identifying at-risk girls, intervening in harmful situations, and providing support to survivors of child marriage. By strengthening their capacity and expanding their reach, we can create a safety net that prevents child marriage and protects vulnerable children.
This will only be achieved by enhancing social workers' capacity to put children at the centre, as well as improving the case management system through a digital team that ensures support for vulnerable children, and establishing community-based protection mechanisms to prevent child marriage and provide early interventions.
Climate change has emerged as a significant driver of child marriage, with families in disaster-affected areas often turning to marriage as a survival strategy
Investing in social protection and education
Social protection programs are crucial for addressing the economic drivers of child marriage. Conditional cash transfers, school stipends, and scholarships have proven effective in keeping girls in school and delaying marriage. Expanding these programs, alongside accessible healthcare and livelihood opportunities, is essential for creating long-term resilience.
Equally important is ensuring girls’ education, which is one of the most effective tools for preventing child marriage. Educated girls are less likely to marry early and more likely to contribute to their families and communities. We must make schools safer and more inclusive, providing gender-responsive education and skills training to equip girls for a brighter future.
The role of gender-transformative interventions
Ending child marriage also demands a shift in deeply entrenched gender norms. Harmful stereotypes that value girls less than boys perpetuate cycles of discrimination and violence. To break this cycle, we must engage men and boys to challenge harmful gender norms and create lasting change. We also need to mobilize communities, including religious, and local leaders to shift mindsets at scale.
We cannot forget the intersection between child marriage and gender-based violence as child marriage is one of these forms of violence. And we need to provide comprehensive sexuality education tailored to the cultural context of Bangladesh, to equip adolescents with knowledge about their rights, relationships, and reproductive health.
Climate resilience and humanitarian integration
Climate change has emerged as a significant driver of child marriage, with families in disaster-affected areas often turning to marriage as a survival strategy. Addressing this requires integrating child marriage prevention into climate resilience programs. Humanitarian responses must include child protection services that prioritize girls' safety and access to education and healthcare.
A call to action
As we mark the 16 Days of Activism, let this be a rallying cry for collective action. Child marriage is not inevitable -- it is a practice rooted in inequality that can and must end. By strengthening child protection systems, empowering social workers, and challenging harmful norms, we can create a future where every child in Bangladesh enjoys the right to a safe, healthy, and empowered life.
This is a fight that demands commitment from all -- policy-makers, civil society, communities, and individuals. Together, we can break the chains of child marriage and ensure that every Bangladeshi girl has the opportunity to thrive.
Let it be remembered as the moment Bangladesh took bold steps to end child marriage, not just for today’s children but for generations to come.
The time to act is now.
Sharmeen Murshid is the Advisor to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Ministry of Social Welfare, Interim Government of Bangladesh.
