2017 Theses Master's

Human Rights Education for Bengali Women: Agency and empowerment

Uddin, Sameera

Over the last decade, most educational indicators have shown positive trends in Bangladesh. Despite the progress, the education system in Bangladesh is still failing its adolescent girls. Many of these girls come from impoverished backgrounds, and thus reaching secondary schools presents a myriad of challenges for them. Their educational trajectories are frequently interrupted by child marriage, corruption, abuse, and neglect. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that Human Rights Education (HRE) is central to defining the content and method of the education that women/girls need to function effectively in modern Bangladesh society. The theoretical framework focuses on transformative agency, the empowerment process (social and economic), and the concept of capabilities. The study examines the links between human rights education and transformation by focusing on the long-term effects on young girls who participated in non-formal education programs in Bangladesh. The literature review explores key concepts of HRE, critical pedagogy, and the capabilities approach. The study then makes an assessment of Bangladesh’s record in implementing the right to education in light of the commitments made by the State. The article concludes by offering a set of recommendations for the government of Bangladesh to integrate human rights education as part of the formal school curriculum.