The Centre for Gender and Social Transformation (CGST) at BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), BRAC University has organised the Bangladesh launching of the ‘Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE)’ Project at the GDLN Centre, BRAC University on August 22, 2016. The project is supported by the Department for International Development (DFID) in partnership with Overseas Development Institute (ODI), UK. In Bangladesh, the GAGE research work is being managed and conducted by the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD), the James P. Grant School of Public Health of BRAC University, Research and Evaluation Division (RED) of BRAC and Innovations for Poverty Action. It is a nine-year mixed methods longitudinal research and evaluation programme that will generate and share evidence on good-practice programmes and policies to help adolescent girls in the Global South reach their full potential. GAGE is undertaking an in-depth, mixed-methods programme of longitudinal research and impact evaluation work in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Nepal and Bangladesh with a focus on girls across the course of adolescence, along with complementary participatory action research with older adolescent girls in additional conflict-affected countries in the Middle East and North Africa and West Africa.
Dr. Sultan Hafeez Rahman, Executive Director of BIGD BRAC University inaugurated the event and welcomed the participants who were comprised of civil society members including women’s rights activists, researchers, academicians, legal experts, program staff from BRAC and other experts working on education, skills development and with adolescents. Simeen Mahmud, Lead Researcher and Coordinator, Centre for Gender and Social Transformation, BIGD briefed the participants on the objectives and structures of the programme. Priya Nanda, Group Director, Social and Economic Development, International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and co-director of GAGE elaborated the key components of GAGE through a presentation. Maheen Sultan, Visiting Fellow, BIGD facilitated the workshop and Dr. Sohela Nazneen, Fellow, Institute of Development Studies, Sussex and Thematic Lead, Policy and Legal Analysis, GAGE thanked the participants at the closing ceremony. Sahil Tandon, Senior Technical Associate, ICRW, Nuzhat Sharmeen, Research Associate, BIGD and Mousumi Ansari, Research Assistant, BIGD were also present at the workshop. The participants shared their views on the key issues that need to be addressed concerning the state of adolescence in Bangladesh, major blockages in bringing about change and on the extent to which knowledge and evidence is necessary for policy making and programming in Bangladesh.