Baseline Result Sharing & Discussion on Child Marriage Prevention in Cox’s Bazar – World Vision Bangladesh’s “Child Safety Net Project”

Suhanur Rahman
August 8, 2025

The Centre for Qualitative Research has recently partnered with World Vision Bangladesh (WVB) to conduct research for the Child Safety Net Project in Cox’s Bazar, an initiative designed to strengthen community systems for child protection and prevent child marriage in vulnerable and high-risk areas.

Child marriage remains one of the persistent social challenges in the coastal and refugee-host communities of Cox’s Bazar. The project aims to address this issue by promoting a multi-sectoral approach, combining research, advocacy, and community-level interventions. CQR’s engagement in the project focuses on establishing a strong evidence base to guide programmatic decisions and policy advocacy.

CQR’s Key Roles and Contributions

As the research and analytical partner, CQR has played a critical role in shaping the study and establishing a strong foundation for project implementation. Our specific engagements include:

Developing benchmarks for key indicators to measure the project’s progress and to support the creation of a robust legal framework for combating child marriage.
Providing contextual insights into the socio-economic, cultural, and gender norms of the target communities, enabling the project team to design culturally sensitive and locally grounded interventions.
Mapping gaps and overlaps among various stakeholders’ activities, ensuring improved coordination and synergy between government agencies, NGOs, and community actors.
Conducting a comprehensive Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) Analysis, offering deeper understanding of gender dynamics, social barriers, and opportunities for inclusion.
Designing the foundation for the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) framework, ensuring systematic assessment, data-driven learning, and adaptive management throughout the project lifecycle.

Baseline Presentation and Stakeholder Participation

The Baseline Study findings were presented by Muhammad Mahbubul Islam Bhuiyan, Study Team Lead at CQR. The dissemination session in Cox’s Bazar was attended by a distinguished panel of government and community representatives, including the Deputy Commissioner of Cox’s Bazar, UNO of Sadar Upazila, Civil Surgeon, Head of Islamic Foundation, faith leaders, journalists, civil society members, students, and World Vision Bangladesh officials.

Their participation reflected a strong commitment from multiple sectors to addressing child protection and gender inequality issues through evidence-based, community-driven approaches.

Towards a Safer Future for Children

Through this engagement, CQR continues to support evidence generation and capacity development for development actors working in child protection. The collaboration underscores CQR’s mission to integrate qualitative insights with policy and programmatic action, ultimately fostering a safer and more inclusive environment for children and adolescents in Bangladesh.

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