Her first period is not a wedding signal
Bangladesh is one of the world's most climate-vulnerable countries, and has one of the highest rates of child marriage. When floods, cyclones and river erosion destroy homes and livelihoods, families fall deeper into poverty, and marrying a daughter early can seem like a way to survive. In many communities, a girl's first period is seen as the sign she is ready for marriage. Wreetu reaches girls at exactly this moment.
How climate shocks lead to child marriage
Climate shock, lost income, period poverty and missed school, school dropout, child marriage, early pregnancy. Select a stage to see our response.
Climate shock
We provide menstrual health and hygiene support, including hygiene kits, during and after disasters, and build climate-resilient sanitation.
What we do
- Menstrual health and hygiene support, including hygiene kits, during and after disasters
- Puberty and SRHR sessions in climate-affected schools, including the risks of child marriage and early pregnancy and the legal age of marriage
- Keeping girls in school through period-friendly schools and support for girls at risk of dropping out
- Working with parents, community leaders, religious leaders and marriage registrars to end child, early and forced marriage
- Climate-resilient sanitation
- Eco-friendly washable napkins that reduce waste
- Linking families to livelihood support, addressing poverty as a root cause
Patharghata, Barguna
Volunteers trained by Wreetu run menstrual health sessions in 10 schools in this cyclone-prone coastal area. We also work with the Bede community through sessions and safe toilets, connecting climate resilience, menstrual health and child marriage prevention.
Where we focus
We focus on climate-vulnerable regions: the coastal belt, the haor wetlands, the river chars and other climate-affected areas.
Common questions
How is climate change linked to child marriage in Bangladesh?
When floods, cyclones and river erosion destroy homes and livelihoods, families fall deeper into poverty, and marrying a daughter early can seem like a way to survive. In many communities, a girl's first period is seen as the sign she is ready for marriage.
Where does Wreetu's climate and child marriage work take place?
In climate-vulnerable regions: the coastal belt, the haor wetlands and the river chars. In Patharghata, Barguna, Wreetu-trained volunteers run menstrual health sessions in 10 schools.
More of our programs
Partner with us for climate and gender justice
Help girls in climate-hit communities stay safe, stay in school and decide their own lives.
