British Council hosts symposium on girls’ education and youth employment

The British Council has hosted a symposium highlighting best practices for improving education, skills, and access for young people — particularly young women and girls — while fostering collaboration and mutual learning among organisations working in this field.

The event was held on 30 November at the organisation's Fuller Road auditorium in Dhaka.

Titled "From Barriers to Breakthroughs: A Symposium on Education and Employment for Girls and Youth", the programme brought together education sector leaders, senior government officials, and representatives from NGOs, INGOs, academia, business, and leading think tanks under a dynamic platform for dialogue and cooperation.

Participants shared insights from their ongoing programmes, discussed persistent gaps between education and employment, and explored ways to build coordinated pathways to help young women and youth transition from classrooms into meaningful work. The symposium was the culmination of a recent mapping initiative undertaken by the British Council to gather insights from organisations working on girls' education and youth employment.

Debabrata Chakraborty, director general of the Bureau of Non-Formal Education, attended as chief guest, while Dr Safiqul Islam, former director of the BRAC Education Programme, delivered the keynote address.

Addressing the event, Debabrata Chakraborty said, "In Bangladesh, reports indicate that 6.7% of children aged 8–10 never enrol in school, and girls face additional barriers at primary, secondary, and higher education levels — resulting in women's workforce participation remaining low at only 44%. Education and employment are deeply connected. To touch the future and leave no woman or girl behind, we must invest in schools, healthcare, and resources, and ensure multi-stakeholder collaboration among government, civil society, and the private sector, working together."

The keynote highlighted critical challenges in Bangladesh's education system, including poor quality, limited data use, under-resourced areas, teacher shortages, and high dropout rates, particularly among girls. It emphasised that inclusive, future-ready education and employment opportunities will require increased investment, innovative strategies, and strong cooperation across sectors.

Stephen Forbes, country director of the British Council, said, "At the British Council, girls' education is one of our highest priorities. Our flagship programme, English and Digital Skills for Girls' Education (EDGE), empowers young girls with future-ready skills to help them grow as a potential workforce. Over the last few years, we have equipped thousands of young girls with these skills, and we believe they will translate their educational achievements into meaningful employment and economic empowerment. We urge everyone, from their respective positions, to come forward and adopt a collective strategy for a collective impact in empowering girls and young women, reducing the gender gap, and strengthening the economy."

The symposium also featured presentations from the British Council, BRAC, Plan International, and the Bureau of Non-Formal Education, showcasing effective practices in improving education, skills, and access for young people. Participants later joined thematic breakout discussions on collaborative approaches to shared challenges.

A panel discussion titled "Future Directions for Empowerment" was facilitated by Golam Kibria, team leader and education adviser at the British High Commission. Panellists included Rasheda K Choudhury, executive director of CAMPE; Debabrata Chakraborty, director general of BNFE; and Iqbal Hossain, education manager at UNICEF Bangladesh.

Rasheda K Choudhury said, "For girls' education, violence against girls and concerns about safety and security remain the primary barriers. These issues, combined with traditional mindsets and socio-economic challenges, often lead to high dropout rates. There is also a significant policy gap between women empowerment initiatives and real-life field experiences. Decision-makers need to engage with entrepreneurs and employers to understand what skill sets will be essential over the next decade and address them accordingly."

She added, "Alongside government and non-government organisations, the private sector should also take an active role in prioritising girls' education and employability skills as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives. This collaborative approach can help bridge gaps in access to education and create sustainable pathways for women's economic empowerment."