Child marriage is endemic in archaic societal systems and denies the young girl a sense of individuality and self-determination. In communities where child marriage is prevalent, it is one of the major factors in bringing an end to a girl’s education. According to UNICEF, a staggering 74% of Bangladeshi girls get married before they reach the age of 18, and around 20% before they even reach 15.

By 2015, females will make up 64% of the world’s adult population who cannot read. One in seven girls in developing countries is married off before the age of 15. Only 30% of girls in the world are enrolled in secondary school.

DCI marked International Girls Day, highlighting the injustices and social and personal damage caused by child marriage. We organized several awareness programs against child marriage amongst the girls of the DCI orphanage and the near 500 girls in DCI’s Patuakhali, Nilphamary, Feni and Hobigonj projects. An essay competition was held to raise their understanding of the situation. Our aim is to help more of these young girls reach their potential as human beings, bringing each of them out of the dark corner of a menial position in order to exercise a fulfilling social role.

Please join us to strengthen our network and provide a powerful voice of opposition to child labor, hunger and poverty.