Let There Be Hope: Setting Sustainable Strategy to Bring Back Married Adolescent Girls to Schools
Imagine a Bangladesh where young girls, forced into early marriages, find their way back to school. This vision is not just aspirational—it is essential.
According to the Socioeconomic and Demographic Survey 2023 by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), marriage accounts for 42 percent of student dropouts, with 71 percent of female dropouts citing marriage as the cause, compared to just 3 percent of boys. Girls who leave school due to marriage face limited job prospects, economic insecurity, and social isolation.
The Cost of Child Marriage on Education
Despite progress in female secondary school enrolment (83.7 percent), dropout rates remain high. The Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (2023) reports that 34.87 percent of girls still drop out, mostly after primary school. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the situation, pushing thousands of families into poverty and increasing child marriage rates. According to Bangladesh Sample Vital Statistics 2023, 41.06 percent of girls under 18 were married last year—a shocking rise from 31.3 percent in 2020.
Married adolescent girls face discrimination from teachers, administrators, and peers. Many schools perceive a married or pregnant girl as setting a “bad example” for others. Motherhood responsibilities further hinder their education, with a lack of affordable childcare and inflexible school schedules making it nearly impossible for them to continue their studies.
Breaking the Stigma and Supporting Married Girls
While child marriage prevention efforts exist, few organisations focus on bringing married girls back to school. This neglect leaves them invisible in Bangladesh’s development discourse. However, successful models from other countries show that reintegration is possible.
In Mexico, the Reencontrándome (Finding Myself Again) programme took a multi-faceted approach to supporting adolescent mothers. It built support networks, ran workshops to boost self-confidence and job readiness, and provided education on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). As a result, school attendance and employment rates among adolescent mothers increased by 40 percent, and 70 percent reported having a stronger support system. Bangladesh can learn from such initiatives.
A Call for Policy Action
To bring married adolescent girls back to school, Bangladesh needs to integrate support policies into existing national strategies on education, child marriage prevention, and adolescent health. Referral systems between schools, health services, and child protection agencies should be established to track pregnant adolescents and support their return to education.
Moreover, raising awareness among parents, in-laws, and community members about the importance of education for married girls is critical. Teachers and school staff must be sensitised to the rights of married students, ensuring they can complete their education without stigma. Schools should introduce flexible hours and establish childcare facilities to support adolescent mothers.
More Than Statistics—A Future at Stake
Married adolescent girls are not just numbers—they are young individuals whose dreams have been put on hold. Education should not end with marriage. Bangladesh must act now to ensure that marriage does not close doors but allows girls to rewrite their futures with dignity and hope.
Source: The Daily Star
Picture Credit: Hasib Matiur/Unsplash
