Breaking the cycle: Adolescent clubs are preventing child marriage in northern Bangladesh

When Class Five student Jyotika Rani learnt that her parents had arranged her marriage, she did something rarely seen in her village – she went to her adolescent club for help.

"I wanted to keep studying," she said. "They came home and convinced my parents to stop the marriage."

Her story is not isolated. Ninth-grader Sumi Akhter was also days away from being married off when she informed her teacher, who intervened immediately.

"Now I dream of becoming a doctor," she said.

These cases reflect a wider shift in northern Bangladesh – adolescent clubs are becoming the first line of defence against child marriage, driven by awareness, confidence and shared action.

"If we see any incident of child marriage or abuse, we immediately call 1098 or 999," said Class Ten student Robi Chandra. "If that's not possible, we inform our adolescent club so that no child suffers in silence."

Robi is a member of a local adolescent club formed under the Strengthening Social and Behaviour Change (SSBC) project, funded by Unicef and implemented by World Vision Bangladesh.

The initiative promotes positive social and behavioural changes to prevent harmful practices, including child marriage and violence against children. In its first four years, it reached more than 459,000 beneficiaries and prevented 244 child marriages – 125 in Kurigram and 119 in Chapainawabganj. Its second phase began in December 2024 across four subdistricts.

As these interventions expand, the broader context remains urgent. Bangladesh continues to have one of the highest rates of child marriage globally, with more than half of girls marrying before 18. In Chapainawabganj, the rate stands at 72.9%, while Kurigram is among the top three districts for marriages under 15. Poverty, limited schooling and entrenched norms expose girls to early marriage, and the project seeks to address these root causes by empowering families and communities to resist pressure.

During a visit by The Business Standard to Kurigram, adolescent club members described how they were learning to recognise and prevent harmful practices. In a courtyard in Nawani Para of Panchgachi Union, a group of adolescent girls sat in a circle discussing how to stop early marriages in their neighbourhood. 

What appears to be an informal gathering is part of a structured approach that includes regular sessions on menstrual hygiene, nutrition and the dangers of early marriage – such as maternal death, long-term disability and child malnutrition.

The clubs also conduct monthly home visits to check on girls' well-being and identify risks early. "We were poor and did not know how dangerous early marriage could be," said Joyonti Rani, Jyotika's mother. "Now I know, and I want my daughter to have a better future."

The project also engages religious and community leaders to influence attitudes from within. Local imam Abdul Kayum Siraji, who received training from World Vision, said, "On one Friday every month, during my sermon, I tell people that child marriage is against both law and morality. Faith teaches us to protect the innocent, not harm them."

So far, 640 faith leaders across the two districts have joined the initiative.

At Jatrapur Girls High School, the project's impact is also visible. The school's peer educator group – six students from each class – meets twice a month to identify risks among classmates and report them to teachers.

Local authorities are now integrated into the prevention network. Bhogdanga Union Parishad Chairman Saidur Rahman said illegal marriages have declined through joint work with World Vision, Unicef and local committees.

"We work closely with police and mobile courts to stop illegal marriages. Some parents still try to do it secretly, even on boats or autorickshaws. So we have asked marriage registrars not to proceed without verifying ages," he said.

SSBC Project Manager Azizul Hoque said change is emerging through consistent community engagement. "We use courtyard sessions to spread essential information. This awareness leads to action – people now know the Child Marriage Act 2017 and government hotline numbers," he said.

"Community members are now raising their voices directly with local officials, shifting from passive recipients to active rights defenders," he added.

As poverty and climate challenges continue to affect northern districts, the SSBC model is helping communities build long-term safeguards. With 51 peer educator groups and 53 child-protection committees active across the project area, communities are increasingly becoming their own protection system – ensuring that fewer girls face early marriage and that more, like Jyotika and Sumi, can choose their future.