UNFPA and UNICEF renew their pledge to support Bangladesh in ending child marriage

DHAKA, 14 December – With a focus on saving girls´ lives, the Steering Committee of the UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme to End Child Marriage (the Global Programme) visited Bangladesh from 8 to 12 December underscoring an urgent call to action to eliminate child marriage in Bangladesh, one of the world’s most affected regions. While significant progress has been made in reducing child marriage rates, 51% of Bangladeshi girls still marry before the age of 18.

Child marriage robs girls of their childhood and threatens their well-being. Girls who marry before 18 are more likely to experience domestic violence and less likely to remain in school. They have worse economic and health outcomes than their unmarried peers, which are eventually passed down to their own children, straining a country’s capacity to provide quality health and education services.
The pivotal visit of the Global Programme Steering Committee offered a renewed commitment to address systemic drivers of child marriage, empower adolescent girls, and strengthen social protection and child protection systems. The prioritization of the National Action Plan to End Child Marriage (NAPECM), ensuring it is adequately funded and supported by strengthened legal framework, emerged as a strong call to action.

During the 5-day visit, the delegation interacted with government officials, civil society organizations, local leaders, and communities across high-prevalence districts to learn about successes and challenges in combating child marriage. Field visits highlighted innovative programs, including those aimed at empowering girls, including young mothers through education, life skills, employability skills and protection mechanisms.

“The Global Programme Steering Committee is excited to witness the efforts in Bangladesh, a country at the forefront of global initiatives to end child marriage. Through strong collaboration with the Interim Government, UN agencies, and civil society, Bangladesh has shown that progress is possible even in the face of significant challenges. Ending child marriage requires collective action, and we are here to amplify these efforts. The realization of the NAPECM, ensuring that it is fully resourced and the legal framework is improved, would create a cascade effect in ending this scourge in the country,” said the Global Programme Chair, Sheema Sen Gupta.

The Steering Committee’s visit coincided with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, reaffirming the urgency of addressing child marriage as a form of violence against children and a violation of human rights. Discussions focused on scaling up gender-sensitive approaches, engaging men and boys as allies, and integrating child marriage prevention into broader protection and poverty reduction strategies.

“Ending child marriage is about creating opportunities for girls to lead safe, healthy, and empowered lives. UNFPA is committed to supporting comprehensive approaches that prioritize sexual and reproductive health and rights, life skills education, and community engagement to transform harmful norms. The engagement of men and boys is crucial in not only addressing these issues but also in co-creating solutions and efforts. Together, we can build a society that values and invests in its daughters,” said Masaki Watabe, Representative a.i. for UNFPA in Bangladesh.

“Child marriage is not only a violation of children’s rights but also a barrier to sustainable development. UNICEF is proud to work with the Government of Bangladesh and our partners to build resilient child protection systems and empower social workers to prevent and respond to child marriage. The voices of girls must be central to our collective action to create a future where every child can thrive,” said Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh.

The UNFPA-UNICEF Global Programme supports government-led efforts to strengthen protection systems, as well as social protection systems, expand formal and informal educational opportunities, and address harmful gender norms. The Steering Committee will engage with adolescent girls and boys participating in these programs to understand their impact and scalability.

The visit is a collective and urgent appeal to all stakeholders - government, civil society, private sector, and the international community - for expanded partnerships to accelerate progress in eliminating child marriage. With continued progress, Bangladesh has the potential to lead the way in achieving Sustainable Development Goal Target 5.3: eliminating child marriage by 2030.

In 2016, UNFPA and UNICEF launched the Global Programme to End Child Marriage. Empowering young girls at risk of marriage or already in union, the programme has reached till 2023 more than 21 million adolescent girls with education opportunities, including life-skills and employability skills, comprehensive sexuality education and school attendance support since 2016. Over 353 million people, including key community influencers as well as men and boys specifically, have also engaged in dialogue and communication campaigns to support adolescent girls, or other efforts to end child marriage.