A novel scheme offers free degree courses at the Asian University for Women to improve the prospects for workers in Bangladesh’s clothing factoriesWhen Rubina Yeasmin was 13,her father died of a heart attack. Her mother scraped together the money to keep her in school but finances became increasingly tight. “My uncle said I must leave school and obtain married.”She grew up in Topshe village in Dinajpur district, in northern Bangladesh. According to a Unicef report (pdf) published last year, and 65% of girls in Bangladesh are married before the age of 18,and 29% before they are 15. For destitute families, early marriage can ease financial pressure as it means one less mouth to feed. It can also negate the need for girls to be educated.
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Source: theguardian.com