Child Marriage Blocks Human Resource Development

Abstract

This article by Dr. M. Azizur Rahman, published in The New Nation, explores the detrimental effects of child marriage on human resource development and women's empowerment. The author argues that child marriage acts as a significant barrier to a nation's growth by preventing women from reaching their full potential through education and professional participation. Drawing on comparative data from 2007 for countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, and Iran, the text highlights that Bangladesh faces high rates of underage marriage, with 58% of surveyed women married under the age of 18. The article contends that cultural, religious, and economic factors often relegate women to domestic roles, and identifies job-oriented education as the primary solution for empowering women to contribute to national economic development and governance.