Dhaka roundtable calls for girls’ rights and agency

Policymakers, educators, and civil society leaders gathered at Hotel Sarina in Banani on Thursday for a roundtable titled "Turning Girls' Voices into Decisions and Action," organized by the Education & Cultural Society (ECS).

The discussion focused on creating institutional space for girls' agency in Bangladesh and showcased findings from a three-year participatory research project conducted in Feni alongside the Brookings Institution’s Center for Universal Education.

ECS Executive Director Kazi Nasrin Siddiqa stressed that girls' agency is shaped by families, schools, and social norms rather than individual effort alone. "Our goal is to build a bridge from the last mile to the top floor so local evidence directly informs policy," she said.

Key discussant Barrister Jahrat Adib Chowdhury MP, Chair of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, pledged her support for ECS’s research and girls' empowerment initiatives.

Participants highlighted major barriers, including child marriage and dropout rates, while calling for expanded skill-based education, STEM opportunities, and grassroots support systems. Young participants also shared personal experiences of overcoming social pressure to pursue higher education.

ECS plans to document the recommendations to drive national policy reforms.

sks