These married adolescent girls raise the next generation of Bangladesh.

They stop going to school. They lose hope. They lose their identity.
They need a voice. They need hope. They need to believe.
They need YOU.

Share their stories, raise their voices!
The more people know, the sooner their lives will get better.

'Image for Change' is a social media platform of IMAGE Plus project which is an initiative for early married girls of Bangladesh. IMAGE Plus is the continuation of the IMAGE I project, which is currently implementing in 6 unions of 3 northern districts Kurigram, Gaibandha and Nilphamari in Bangladesh. Through this project around 9,000 married adolescent girls will receive support in Family planning, Mother and Child Health Care, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR), Nutrition, Gender based violence, Income generating activities and Education for livelihood.
22% of married girls are married before the age of 15 Source: UNICEF database, data based on DHS 2014
IMAGE Plus is about millions of young girls who are wives and children at the same time. Their health and well being is at risk because of being married off in early age. Their health rights are not recognized, they are not protected. Yet,their future generation depends on them. Families and communities rely on them. They run households, cook, raise children, clean yards and care for the sick and the old. They deserve respect and support.
Adolescent girls become married ‘women’ overnight. They leave their birth family, enter an unknown family and get isolated from society in the process. Bangladesh has one of the world's highest rates of early marriage. Currently Bangladesh is a country with 5th highest rate of child marriage and 52% of the girls get married before the age of 18.
59% of married girls are married before the age of 18Source: UNICEF database, data based on DHS 2014
The negative impact of child marriage is acknowledged worldwide. Policies and programs focus strongly on prevention. It is necessary to protect the child rights of girls who are at risk of being married off. It is equally important to protect the rights of girls who have already entered marriage. IMAGE Plus focuses on their health rights. Empowering girls in their marriage will plant the seed for prevention as well. Married girls, aware of their child rights and their human rights, will become aware of the need for alternative strategies for their daughters.
Thakurgaon
IMAGE Plus is reaching out to 9,000 married girls in three northern districts of the country. The northern parts of Bangladesh have high rates of child marriage. At the same time, the project will reach their families. Because, they are the gatekeepers and guardians.

The project gathers knowledge and experience in interaction with the married girls and their families. Information, statistics, qualitative data, stories of married girls, challenges and successes will be collected and preserved in an ever expanding database. Gaps in knowledge and interventions will be identified to encourage research and interventions.

With this knowledge, the project reaches out to the society at local and national level. Information will be transformed to powerful messages, relevant research and strong awareness and advocacy campaigns. All this will raise support for the cause of married girls. It will empower the interventions and pave the way for interventions in other areas in Bangladesh and abroad.

Tdh Foundation, SKS Foundation Pollisree National Awareness and advocacy.

diaries
Collection of pages from the diaries
stories
Child brides talk...
learn-more
National & International News, Research materials about Child marriage
discuss
In spite of preventing child marriage the girl who was about to be victim of tha...

The Netherlands is an active and long-standing partner in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and gender in Bangladesh. The Netherlands aims to help reduce maternal mortality and end violence against women and child marriage in Bangladesh.

SKS Foundation is one of the largest NGO’s in the northern districts of Bangladesh. It has vast experience in preventive and curative health. It operates satellite clinic services on mother and childcare and SRH services. The operations in the north include more than 300 community health workers and 16 paramedics.

Terre des Hommes Netherlands has a strong focus on child protection. The organization has 35 years of experience with managing complex projects in Bangladesh. Terre des Hommes is well connected in the Bangladeshi society and has a strong track record in linking the grassroots level with the national level.

Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh) has been working for children in Bangladesh since 1974. A Mother and Child Health (MCH) programme implemented through a comprehensive approach intervenes on Health issues, including Protection, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Homestead Gardening, Aquaculture, Rehabilitation of Community Clinics and Disaster Risk Reduction. In 2014, 366'600 people in Kurigram and Barguna District benefited from Tdh activities.

RedOrange is a socially engaged consultancy house for media and communications; reaching large audiences with effective messages. The agency specializes in creative and innovative strategies and tools for behavior change communication, awareness campaigns and advocacy campaigns. In Bangladesh RedOrange has a strong focus on sexual and reproductive health.

Pollisree brings in a strong gender perspective and a strong experience in organizing community stakeholder groups, including using the method of the change makers. The organization has implemented activities in 46 communities in seven sub districts in the northern part of the country.
Mahmudul Kabir
Country Director, Terre des Hommes
IMAGE Steering Committee Member
Arnob Chakrabarty
Managing Director, RedOrange
IMAGE Steering Committee Member
Farhana Jesmine Hasan
IMAGE Project Director
Nakib Rajib Ahmed
Head of Programmes, RedOrange
Irene Bartelds
Communication and Advocacy Specialist