There are many issues facing young women in Bangladesh. At the forefront of these problems is early marriage. Bangladesh has some of the highest rates of early marriage in the world with around 65% of women married before the age of 18.
Whilst education is an important tool in tackling the prevalent issues of poverty and abuse, marrying early is one of the largest barriers to young women completing their education .
EM stands for 'Empowering Meye'. Meye is the Bangla word for girls. We run a number of groups for young women who are at risk of early marriage. The groups generally meet once a week for a time of games, craft and discussion. Currently we have 21 groups meeting in Dhaka and other parts of Bangladesh. We believe that by coming alongside young women, and providing them with a safe space to process their experiences, we can make a real difference in their lives. By helping them to develop aspirations, learn coping mechanisms and build resilience we aim to support these young women to grow in confidence, continue with their education and make a big difference in Bangladesh's future.
Please help us to continue supporting these young women.