“During school holidays, my coaching centre is closed. I encourage students to read books, play or do things they really enjoy. But most parents enrol them in some other coaching centres during their break,” says a schoolteacher in Dhaka. Most parents in Bangladesh view success in exams to be the most important thing in their
Boi Mela is bringing kids to books. We can take this further. Read More »
To understand what our adolescents dream about the future, researchers at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the finance ministry conducted an explorative survey between August and September 2021. All eight divisions of Bangladesh and different types of educational systems were covered in this survey, conducted on 145 adolescents. According to the study, adolescents dream
Are we listening to our adolescents? Read More »
Corporal punishment is defined as any punishment in which physical force is used with the intent to cause some degree of pain or discomfort, however light. Degrading and humiliating punishment also falls under this definition. Corporal punishment violates not just children’s right to freedom from all violence, but also their rights to health, development and
Not just law, we need social change to end corporal punishment Read More »
Working in international development for almost two decades has been a truly enriching experience.While my work has taken me to places like Liberia, South Africa and Papua New Guinea, as well as slums and “chars” of Bangladesh etc., the people I met have been inspiring and helped shape me as a person. One of my
A letter to young women professionals Read More »
Do we know about the realities of children in newly poor households? According to a survey conducted by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), the number of new poor in August 2021 reached 3.24 crore. However, there is lack of reliable data on various issues affecting
Pandemic impacts on children may be irreversible Read More »
Ruma (not her real name) is working as a nutritionist and counsellor in an organisation that offers treatment and support to thalassemia patients. She was diagnosed with thalassemia in her adolescence and suffered from the disease for almost eight years, before she was able to get the right treatment, and her condition improved. She obtained
Coordinated efforts needed to combat thalassemia Read More »
In the first eight months of 2021, at least 79 girls with disabilities have been subjected to rape in the country, according to a recent report by the National Girl Child Advocacy Forum Bangladesh. There is a culture of impunity regarding sexual violence faced by children, but pursuing justice becomes even more challenging in case
We must do better to protect children with disabilities Read More »
Fairooz Faizah Beether, a fourth-year student of Khulna University, recently received the 2021 Goalkeepers Global Goals Changemaker Award from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Fairooz is one of the co-founders of Moner School, a youth-led platform that is working on increasing mental health awareness. The team consists of para-counsellors who offer critical primary counselling
Time to make mental well-being a priority Read More »
The recognition of Dr Firdausi Qadri’s lifelong contribution to scientific research is a cause for huge celebration, especially when underrepresentation of women and girls in workforce and higher education in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) remains a serious concern across various regions. South and West Asia have the lowest proportion of
STEM education and careers — equal participation of girls & women Read More »
“My business partner and the co-founder of the company is female. She is every bit my equal in the company and in the design of the products and services we are rolling out. She has to fight twice as hard, and for twice as long as me for anything. Nine out of 10 emails to
Are you sure you’re not suffering from unconscious bias? Read More »
