New findings from the Jononi Project show alarmingly high levels of child marriage, adolescent pregnancy, and unsafe childbirth in Rangpur’s hard-to-reach areas, revealing how national averages hide deep regional inequality. Child marriage in these communities has climbed to 58.9%, compared to 50.1% nationally. Adolescent pregnancy stands at 17.3%—almost three times the national rate of 5.9%—meaning many girls are married and pregnant while still in their teens, with little control over their lives.
The study also documents severe gaps in maternal and newborn health services. One in five pregnant women has no access to diagnostic care, around 70% face shortages of essential supplies, and 50.3% of births still take place at home, far above the national figure of 34.9%. In remote Rangpur, distance, poverty, and social control collide with an under-resourced health system, turning pregnancy and childbirth into routine risk.
Experts link these outcomes to entrenched gender norms, limited schooling for girls, economic precarity, and the lack of skilled providers in many unions. While national indicators show gradual improvement in institutional deliveries, Rangpur’s data makes clear that progress is uneven and that adolescent girls in disadvantaged districts are largely excluded from it.
Within this landscape, the Jononi initiative has piloted a mentorship model for midwives and Family Welfare Visitors in Rangpur and Lalmonirhat, reporting a 50% improvement in their skills and about 11,000 institutional deliveries between 2023 and mid-2025. These gains show what is possible when local facilities and workers are supported, but short-term projects cannot replace long-term public investment.
The findings underscore that adolescent pregnancy in Rangpur is not an “inevitable tradition” but a consequence of policy neglect. Without targeted resources, stronger public systems, and serious action against child marriage, girls in these so-called hard-to-reach areas will continue to carry the highest burden—with their health, futures, and lives.
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