adolescent girls

May 29, 2018

That time of month: Why is menstruation still a problem?

Menstruation is not just a monthly affair for many girls in Bangladesh. It is also an issue that hinders their education and their entire life. On Menstrual Hygiene Day, learn how we encouraged girls to stay in school throughout the year.
May 14, 2018

Taking nutrition to over 2000 young women and mothers

Bangladesh has one of the world’s highest rates of maternal and child malnutrition. An estimated six million children are chronically undernourished. Many pregnant women are underweight, anaemic, and consume a nutrient-poor diet.
March 13, 2016

Girls in BRAC Uganda’s girl clubs 72% more likely to be earning

Jazirah Namukose, 18, left school feeling the sting of rejection. Classmates discriminated against her because of her disability- a clubfoot. But her life changed when she started going to the Kikaaya girls’ club in northern Kampala, Uganda. She gained skills and the confidence to start her own business- and found friends who didn’t treat her differently because of her disability.
December 3, 2015

Going back to the roots: Why the youth needs to come back to farming

Not often does one come across a girl who is interested in chasing a career in agriculture. Paradoxically, research shows that more than 60 per cent of women worldwide are responsible for putting food on the table. In that case, why aren’t more people, notably young women taking up a profession in agriculture?
July 17, 2015

African schoolgirls: Dropped out, but not left behind

We face tremendous problems keeping girls in school as they transition through adolescence. In Sierra Leone, 30 per cent of reported rapes take place in the school environment, and a recent ruling banned 'visibly pregnant' girls from school. When the school itself becomes a hostile setting, it should come as no surprise that dropout rates shoot up.
June 15, 2015

Is sports really a good tool to get girls talking about sexual and reproductive health?

Engaging in sports intrinsically makes you more mindful about your body. You may start speculating how to be healthier – a good entry point for inquiring about your general well-being. For adolescent girls in marginalised communities, these questions can lead to discussions about more sensitive topics, particularly sexual and reproductive health.
July 1, 2011

Christy Turlington: Back to Bangladesh – Day 3

Below is post from Christy Turlington Burns, founder of the non-profit organization, Every Mother Counts and Director/Producer of the documentary film "No Woman, No Cry". In this article, originally published on Huffington Post, Christy Turlington Burns writes about her experience of returning to Bangladesh for the first time since filming the segment on BRAC's Manoshi project aimed at improving maternal health in the slums of Dhaka. We started our day at Dhaka Medical College's teaching hospital where we learned more about one of the most common pregnancy-related morbidities (or disabilities) that poor women endure in childbirth; obstetric fistula. An obstetric fistula is when a woman suffers an obstructed labor, ultimately tearing a hole in her birth canal. Fistulas lead to incontinence of urine, feces and often cause infertility. Equally as devastating is that most women with fistulas are ostracized by their families and communities.
June 24, 2011

More than Microfinance: How BRAC Uganda Empowers Adolescents

A Bengali organization founded almost 40 years ago, BRAC is one of the largest NGO’s in the world. BRAC does tremendous work in and outside of Bangladesh, and has programs promoting economic development, health, education, gender justice – the list goes on. When I found out I would be working with BRAC this past April I was excited since it is such a pioneering organization, but I was also really looking forward to working with BRAC since I have a soft spot in my heart for Bangladesh. I had the chance to live in Bangladesh for four months last year as a social business intern at the Yunus Centre, and my time in the country was certainly life altering.
September 21, 2010

Haiti Adolescent Girls Network receives recognition at Clinton Global Initiative

The Haiti Adolescent Girls Network, a coalition of humanitarian organizations cofounded by AmeriCares and the Population Council and including BRAC affiliate BRAC USA, today received high level recognition for its efforts to reduce girls’ risks of poverty, violence and rape. The Network’s exemplary collaboration and commitment to empower and protect Haitian girls was featured during the opening plenary session of the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting held in New York City.