Child Rights and Well-being Situation Analysis (CRWSA) in Bangladesh 2024

Background

Bangladesh faces numerous challenges in safeguarding children’s rights and ensuring their overall well-being. Persistent issues such as child marriage, labor exploitation, limited access to education, and inadequate healthcare significantly hinder progress. To address these challenges, Educo Bangladesh introduced the Child Rights and Wellbeing Situation Analysis (CRWSA) framework, an evolution of its earlier rights-based approach, the Child Rights Situation Analysis (CRSA). This holistic framework integrates physical, emotional, and social dimensions of well-being, targeting children’s needs across multiple districts and sub-districts.

Educo’s CRWSA focuses on three pillars: safe and equitable education, protection from violence, and empowerment for social transformation. The study’s primary objectives are to identify gaps in child rights and well-being and inform targeted interventions that promote equity and sustainability. Using mixed methods, including focus group discussions (FGDs), in-depth interviews (IDIs), and key informant interviews (KIIs), the CRWSA builds upon data-driven insights for impactful programming.

Overview of the Study

The Child Rights and Wellbeing Situation Analysis (CRWSA) offers a comprehensive assessment of the challenges and opportunities in promoting children’s rights and well-being in Bangladesh. Combining primary and secondary research, it provides actionable insights for Educo and its partners to address systemic issues across education, child protection, and empowerment. 

The study reveals that while access to education has improved at the primary level, transition rates to secondary education remain low due to economic pressures, disengaging teaching methods, and societal challenges, particularly affecting boys. Inclusivity remains a persistent issue, with children with disabilities often excluded due to stigma, insufficient resources, and untrained teachers. Emotional disengagement and ineffective teaching strategies further hinder academic performance and retention. In terms of child protection, child marriage is widespread, fueled by poverty, cultural norms, and weak enforcement of laws, while child labor, especially in hazardous industries, continues to threaten the well-being of marginalized children. Environmental and health risks, such as pollution and limited healthcare access, exacerbate vulnerabilities. 

Regarding empowerment, children’s aspirations for professional careers are constrained by limited career counseling and cultural barriers, while mental health challenges are prevalent due to the absence of structured support systems. Limited awareness of rights among children and families restricts advocacy and self-empowerment efforts. To address these challenges, the CRWSA recommends developing community-based early learning centers, training teachers on inclusive and interactive methods, and strengthening teacher-student engagement. It also advocates for establishing Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs), enforcing laws against child marriage, promoting rehabilitation for child laborers, and enhancing healthcare access to mitigate environmental and health risks. 

Furthermore, the attached study summary document will provide you with an in-depth idea about school dropouts, inadequate teacher training, child labor, covert child marriage, and barriers for children with disabilities and ethnic minorities. Protection concerns include rising drug use, violence, and healthcare setbacks leading to higher child mortality. The report also explores career aspirations, limited leadership opportunities, and gender-based restrictions.

The Child Rights and Wellbeing Situation Analysis (CRWSA) offers a comprehensive assessment of the challenges and opportunities in promoting children’s rights and well-being in Bangladesh. Combining primary and secondary research, it provides actionable insights for Educo and its partners to address systemic issues across education, child protection, and empowerment. 

The study reveals that while access to education has improved at the primary level, transition rates to secondary education remain low due to economic pressures, disengaging teaching methods, and societal challenges, particularly affecting boys. Inclusivity remains a persistent issue, with children with disabilities often excluded due to stigma, insufficient resources, and untrained teachers. Emotional disengagement and ineffective teaching strategies further hinder academic performance and retention. In terms of child protection, child marriage is widespread, fueled by poverty, cultural norms, and weak enforcement of laws, while child labor, especially in hazardous industries, continues to threaten the well-being of marginalized children. Environmental and health risks, such as pollution and limited healthcare access, exacerbate vulnerabilities. 

Regarding empowerment, children’s aspirations for professional careers are constrained by limited career counseling and cultural barriers, while mental health challenges are prevalent due to the absence of structured support systems. Limited awareness of rights among children and families restricts advocacy and self-empowerment efforts. To address these challenges, the CRWSA recommends developing community-based early learning centers, training teachers on inclusive and interactive methods, and strengthening teacher-student engagement. It also advocates for establishing Community Child Protection Committees (CCPCs), enforcing laws against child marriage, promoting rehabilitation for child laborers, and enhancing healthcare access to mitigate environmental and health risks. 

Furthermore, the attached study summary document will provide you with an in-depth idea about school dropouts, inadequate teacher training, child labor, covert child marriage, and barriers for children with disabilities and ethnic minorities. Protection concerns include rising drug use, violence, and healthcare setbacks leading to higher child mortality. The report also explores career aspirations, limited leadership opportunities, and gender-based restrictions.