A year back, Leena (pseudo name), a class 10 student, was preparing for the board examination in the remote village of Bandarban. Her eyes full of dreams came to a halt when her parents fixed her marriage with a man nearly twice her age. 

“I wanted to pursue higher education. I begged my parents, but my pleas were silenced. I felt helpless and scared. So, my friends stepped up to help me,” she said. 

She shared how no one paid attention to their voices since all of them were minors. That’s when Sumaiya,  a  class 9 student in Bandarban Ideal School, decided to act. 

“I used to attend the discussions held in the Safe Space regularly. I had learned that it was illegal and unsafe to marry a girl before the age of 18. So, I called emergency helpline number 999 for help, something  I had also heard about from our discussion group in school,” she said. 

She said it was their last hope, and the helpline did not disappoint them. A rescue team reached the spot, held a brief counselling session with the parents, and stopped the marriage.

Leena took part in the board examination and successfully passed it. 

Behind this remarkable incident lies the Safe Spaces for  female students initiative, quietly transforming lives in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. It was established by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) with funding from the Global Affairs Canada and in partnership with the Government of Bangladesh.

These Safe Spaces are dedicated corners within  educational institutions where girls can gather, talk freely, and learn about their bodies, rights, and well-being free from judgment. Each space is led by a mentor teacher and a Reproductive Health Care Worker (RHCW)  who guide group discussions on menstrual hygiene, puberty, early marriage,  gender based violence prevention, consent, and emotional well-being.

“My friends and I are going through puberty, and we are curious about many things no one teaches us. However, our facilitator in the school informs us about related topics like sexual and reproductive health rights, menstrual hygiene management, good touch-bad touch, appropriate age of marriage, and many other things,” said Sumaiya.

Saronparmoy Bawm, a former RHCW and  a teacher at Bandarban Ideal School, leads these sessions. 

She tries to provide a safe space for girls during their periods and other illness and offers them comfort. At the same time, she welcomes mothers by answering their queries on relevant issues. She believes that teenagers can be easily misguided, irrespective of gender. This is why proper guidance is crucial at this age. 

“Teaching teenage youth about puberty is essential in remote areas like this as information and facilities are not easily accessible here. I believe when we are dealing with issues like harassment, it is not enough to raise awareness among daughtersonly. We must teach our sons how to behave with girls with dignity. This is why we talk to the mothers of male children and explain how they should groom their sons,” she said.