LocationsBreaking Barriers: How Digital Skills Are Empowering Madrasa Girls in Cox’s Bazar
Madrasa Girls Step into a New Future with Digital Skills
April 24, 2025
Qawmi Madrasa girls in Cox’s Bazar gain digital skills through the ISEC project, opening doors to new opportunities.
©UNDP Bangladesh
Meet Sadia and Kamrunnesa, two girls from Qawmi Madrasas who are breaking barriers and making their mark in the digital world. Often expected to follow a quiet path toward early marriage, they’re proving instead that determination and talent can lead to so much more
For years, life for them followed a predictable script. Days at the Madrasa were slow and disciplined, memorizing texts, learning religious teachings, and rarely thinking beyond what came next: marriage. There were no computers, no skill labs, no talks of careers. Their world was small, yet safe in its own way. But deep inside, both girls wanted more. They just didn’t know how to reach for it without violating their religious beliefs & norms.
That’s when they heard about a computer training course in their village. “At first, it sounded unreal. Computers? For girls like us?” Sadia said, still smiling at the memory. “We had never even touched one. I thought it was only for city people.”
©UNDP Bangladesh
But the course was free. And it came with a small allowance, enough to convince their families to let them join. That one decision shifted their entire journey.
“I was stuck at home after finishing Madrasa,” Kamrunnesa added. “My family was looking for a suitor. But I wanted to delay it, to prove I could do something more. This course was my way out.”
The training wasn’t just about software. It was about opening doors. MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint – they learned it all. But what they really gained was confidence. Today, both Sadia and Kamrunnesa work as computer operators at NGOs. They earn, they contribute, and they dream.
And they’re not alone. Across Cox’s Bazar, dozens of Qawmi Madrasa girls are rewriting their stories through the ISEC project, an initiative by UNDP, in partnership with ILO, BRAC, and supported by the Government of Bangladesh and Canada. Already, 1,140 Madrasa students and 620 youth have been trained in skills that match market needs.
Rozina Akter, the field coordinator for the project, knows what this means. She’s a Madrasa graduate herself. “When girls start earning, everything changes — how society sees them, how they see themselves,” she said. “In the beginning, many were scared of computers. But once they sat down, they never missed a class.”
Sadia and Kamrunnesa now dream of becoming freelancers, learning graphic design, digital marketing, and beyond.
So next time you think of a Qawmi Madrasa girl, don’t stop at the stereotype. Think of Sadia. Think of Kamrunnesa. Think of what happens when a door finally opens.
“We had never even touched a computer. Now, we’re earning and dreaming bigger than ever.” Sadia, ISEC digital skills trainee from a Qawmi Madrasa
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