In an op-ed appearing in in Devex and the Council on Foreign Relations’ Women Around the World blog, Population Council senior associate Sajeda Amin shares new evidence from the Council’s Bangladeshi Association for Life Skills, Income, and Knowledge for Adolescents (BALIKA) program.
“We learned the importance of empowering girls and giving them skills and knowledge for future livelihoods. Girls living in BALIKA communities were one-third less likely to get married than those not living in communities reached by the project. And the benefits did not stop at delayed marriage — girls in BALIKA communities were also more likely to stay in school, support gender equality and have improved health and well-being.
This represents a milestone in our knowledge of what works to delay child marriage in Bangladesh. By providing girls with skills for future livelihoods, reaching them while they are under 16, creating girl-centered platforms, and engaging local mentors and support, we can make a real difference in the trajectory of girls’ lives.”
Read more at Devex.