The theme for 2016’s International Day of the Girl Child (October 11) was “Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: A Global Girl Data Movement.” Why do we need more girl-focused data? Because in order to design programs that will help girls thrive, we need a more complete picture of the challenges they face.
How is IFPRI helping?
IFPRI’s Bangladesh Policy Research and Strategy Support Program designed its surveys to help fill the gender gap: the Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS) and ANGeL Project systematically collect data on girls and women. What can be learned from this data? One example pulled from the data is the link between malnutrition and early marriage, which is widespread in Bangladesh. Shortly before the International Day of the Girl Child, Dr. Akhter Ahmed shared PRSSP findings and recommendations on this issue at a CSIS Report Launch in Washington, DC.
IFPRI's survey data provides a window into child marriage in rural Bangladesh:
- Over 30% of under-five children are stunted
- 80% kids do not meet the minimum dietary requirements*
- 60% of all pregnancies in rural Bangladesh are teenagers*
- Girls, on average, marry at age 16*
IFPRI’s Bangladesh Integrated Household Survey (BIHS), 2011/12 baseline to 2015 midline*