Staff Reporter:
International Day of the Girl Child is being observed in the country yesterday like elsewhere in the world with the theme “End child marriage and invest in girls’ rights”.
Child marriage remains one of the biggest obstacles to the advancement of girls in Bangladesh.
According to the 2025 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 47.2 percent of women aged 20-24 in the country were married before reaching the age of 18.
Among women in the same age group, 13.4 percent were married before turning 15.
Meanwhile, 56 percent of women aged 18-49 were married before the age of 18.
These survey findings indicate that despite progress, child marriage remains widespread in Bangladesh.
The situation underscores the need to reconsider the education, health, safety and future prospects of girls.
There are significant regional disparities in child marriage rates across the country.
According to MICS 2025, among women, aged 18-49, the rate of marriage before the age of 18 was 67 percent in Rajshahi Division and 65 percent in Khulna Division.
The rate was 63 percent in Rangpur, 61 percent in Barishal and 53 percent in Dhaka. In contrast, the rate was 29 percent in Sylhet Division.
Child marriage is also closely linked to socioeconomic conditions.
According to the survey, 65 percent of women from the poorest households were married before the age of 18, compared with 42 percent of women from the wealthiest households.
This disparity illustrates how limited access to education and economic opportunities can influence decisions affecting girls’ lives.
Poverty, social insecurity, dowry-related pressure, prevailing social customs and negative attitudes towards girls’ futures can contribute to child marriage.
In many cases, parents decide to marry off their daughters at an early age because of financial hardship or concerns about their safety.
Therefore, addressing the problem requires tackling its social and economic causes alongside enforcing the law.
Child marriage is not merely a social problem; it can have long-term effects on the physical and mental health of girls.
Early pregnancy and childbirth can increase adolescents’ risk of complications during pregnancy and delivery.
The situation can become more serious due to inadequate nutrition, a lack of information about reproductive health and limited access to essential healthcare services.
Many adolescent girls discontinue their education after child marriage. They are burdened with household responsibilities and childcare at an early age.
This limits their personal development, skills acquisition and future employment opportunities. They may also face increased risks of domestic violence, social isolation, psychological stress and depression.
According to UNICEF Bangladesh, child marriage and early pregnancy have lasting effects on girls’ health and well-being.
Girls affected by child marriage are also more likely to drop out of school, suffer from malnutrition and experience complications during pregnancy and childbirth.
For this reason, efforts to prevent child marriage must be accompanied by accessible healthcare, proper nutrition, mental health services and age-appropriate reproductive health education for adolescent girls.
Bangladesh has the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017, to prevent child marriage. Under the law, the general minimum age for marriage is 21 for males and 18 for females.
However, the law provides for exceptions under special circumstances, subject to court directions and prescribed procedures.
Despite the existence of the law, local-level monitoring, verification of birth registration records and prompt action following complaints remain essential to preventing child marriage.
Coordination among union parishads, upazila administrations, educational institutions, law enforcement agencies and local social organizations needs to be strengthened.
At the same time, girls at risk of child marriage must be identified and their families provided with necessary support.
Initiatives to ensure school attendance and bring students who have dropped out back into education must also be intensified.
Continuing girls’ education is one of the most effective ways to prevent child marriage.
More educational assistance, stipends, safe transportation, healthy learning environments and opportunities to acquire technical skills should be provided to girls from poor families.
In particular, programs should be designed according to local circumstances in areas where child marriage rates are high.
Expanding social protection programs to address families’ financial difficulties and creating future employment opportunities for adolescent girls are also important.
Displacement, declining household incomes and disruptions to educational institutions caused by climate change and natural disasters place girls at greater risk.
Therefore, measures are needed in disaster-prone areas to ensure that girls can continue their education, remain safe and receive financial support through their families.
The initiative to observe the International Day of the Girl Child originated at the World Conference on Women held in Beijing in 1995.
Later, on December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly declared October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child.
The day has been observed worldwide since 2012.
Ensuring the rights of the girl child is not only a humanitarian responsibility but also an important prerequisite for the country’s long-term development.
Ending child marriage would expand girls’ access to education, healthcare, skills development and employment opportunities.
It would also strengthen their ability to participate in decision-making within their families and society.
The central expectation on this day is that the rights of the girl child must not remain confined to formal discussions and declarations.
Through law enforcement, quality education, healthcare, social protection and economic opportunities, every girl must be guaranteed a safe childhood and the freedom to choose her own future.
