Improving the quality of girls’ education in madrasas in Bangladesh

Research around the world has demonstrated the important role that education plays in the empowerment of girls and women. Providing girls with a quality education can help prevent early marriage, prevent drop out from school, facilitate successful transitions to adulthood, increase wages, and launch them into more active roles leading their communities. In short, a quality education can “kick-start a virtuous cycle of development.” But in Bangladesh, despite tremendous progress enrolling 3.9 million girls in secondary school in 2005—up from 1.1 million in 1991—the majority of girls are not receiving a quality, relevant education in a safe, supportive, and empowering environment.