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 Youth Initiative

UNFPA Bangladesh and Young People

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has a vision of a world where their rights are protected and promoted for girls and boys equally. Half of the world's people are under the age of 25. This includes the largest-ever generation of adolescents who are approaching adulthood in a rapidly changing world. In Bangladesh, about 1/4th of total population are adolescents at the age bracket 10-19. Again, about 1/3rd of total population is young people (10-24). This is huge in number and most vulnerable population of the State.

Investing in adolescents and youth is one of UNFPA's top priorities. Not only are we investing in their basic needs and rights as an ethical and common sense response to a critical social issue, but also because it is highly strategic and cost-effective answer to the development challenges set forth at the International Conference on Population and Development/ICPD (Cairo, 1994) and related international agreements.

The Fund places particular emphasis on reaching out to those who are living in poverty or in other harsh circumstances. It recognizes that opportunities for learning and for protecting the health of young people (including sexual and reproductive health) are crucial to their reaching their full potential. In the era of HIV/AIDS, this can also be a matter of life and death. UNFPA is working with a wide range of partners and with young people themselves to encourage their healthy development through programmes that are participatory, rights-based, culturally sensitive and locally driven.

The current country programme in Bangladesh though sub divided into three components: reproductive Health (RH), Advocacy and Population Development Strategies (PDS), but all the programmes are focused to address this young people in all means, like, health, education as area subject and through different directorates and departments as dissemination and implementation channels. In addition to regular projects under the country programme, UNFPA Bangladesh also facilitates in undertaking interventions as part of global and regional projects.

Adolescent Reproductive Health (ARH) Project

A special intervention was undertaken with support from the United Nations Foundation (UNF) titled 'An initiative for improving Reproductive Health of Adolescent Girls in Bangladesh through Peer Education and Personal Social Education' which has just completed. This project was part of a global project titled, 'Development and participation of Adolescent Girls' which was in operation in 14 countries of the world with funding from UNF. This project in Bangladesh, implemented by the department of Youth Development (DYD), Ministry of Youth & Sports, aimed at improving the reproductive health of rural married adolescent girls in Bangladesh through Personal Social Education, which includes sexual and reproductive health, life skill issues etc.


The core activity involved developing models on peer education and personal social education. These were used for peer group training of adolescent girls on reproductive heath issues. To create supporting environment, the project also organized sensitization sessions with parents, in-laws, community leaders and health service providers on the RH needs of adolescent girls. Working with 60 Youth Clubs covering 30 upazilas in 10 districts, UNFPA is developed the interventions that was grounded on evidence and experience from both international and national levels. This also looked at intensive collaboration between GO-NGO and policy makers on addressing sensitive issues.

EU/UNFPA Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia (RHIYA)

The EU/UNFPA Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in Asia (RHIYA) emerged out of the experience of the RHI with the realization that young people have different sexual and reproductive health (SRH) needs, thus requiring programmes tailored to their specific needs and contexts. RHIYA is being implemented in seven former RHI countries i.e. Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos PDR, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam focusing on SRH for the adolescents and the youth. The programme in Bangladesh is primarily focused on the improved sexual and reproductive health and overall well-being of vulnerable and underserved adolescents and youth in the urban and peri-urban areas.


The RHIYA Programme is designed to work through national NGOs with technical support from International NGOs. The main RHIYA partners are Bangladesh Red Crescent Society (BDRCS), Concerned Women for Family Development (CWFD), Family Planning Association of Bangladesh (FPAB), Marie Stopes Clinic Society (MSCS), Save the Children-UK (SC-UK) and UNFPA. An Umbrella Project Support Unit (UPSU) provides technical support for capacity development of the NGOs and also closely works with Regional Dimension Projects (RDPs). Partner NGOs are involved in providing RH information, counseling and services at community level.

SHELL & UNFPA to Address the Youths and Adolescents

For the first time in Bangladesh, UNFPA joined hands with Shell Oil Company to bring RH information and skills development to adolescents.



The project is a part of UNFPA's ongoing project to address urban poor, and Mamata, an NGO partner, is implementing this at Chillimpur, Chittagong. Ms. Ruba Rahman of Shell and Ms. Tahera Ahmed, Assistant Representative of UNFPA, inaugurated the joint programme.
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