Bangladesh is home to over 165 million people:
- about 10% of them living in extreme poverty
- over 3% are street children
- nearly half are under 25 years old
- about 60% live in rural areas
- 51% are women
Despite big gains in girls’ primary school enrollment for non-street girls, cultural and economic pressures intensify in secondary school, during which many girls are pulled to work or marry. Over 80% of marriages are still arranged, and the average age of marriage for women is 16.
For girls in Bangladesh to have access to education and gain economic independence, financial and cultural barriers need to be removed.
