Shahena was only 14 years old when her wedding was fixed. “This was not how things were supposed to go,” she recalled. An attentive student in school, Shahena consistently performed well in her classes, and had plans to pursue a career in social work after her studies. 

She resisted the marriage for a whole year with the support of her friends and teachers, and her mother, who initially insisted on the marriage, finally relented in the face of Shahena’s determination. But it was a draining year, leaving her often feeling lost, especially since her brothers still did not fully support her education. 

However, when a UNFPA-supported case worker introduced her to Polli Samaj Group– a women-led community-based group mobilizing against gender-based violence and harmful practices such as child marriage, it gave her a renewed sense of both hope and purpose. 

Soon after joining, Shahena became a key member of the group, and more importantly, she no longer felt alone. Instead, she found courage and acceptance from a group of women and girls who have been boldly driving change within their communities.

With the World Bank’s funding and UNFPA's technical support, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Health and Gender Support Project in 2021. Under this project, a total of 289  Polli Samaj groups are operating across Cox’s Bazar, having engaged over 56,000 women and girls.

“I used to believe fighting for education was just about my dream, that it was a simple matter of wanting something so strongly that it placed me at odds with others. But, I have come to the realisation that education is my fundamental right. And marrying when I am ready is entirely my choice too," Shahena addressed how membership in a Polli Samaj group validated her beliefs.

With her newfound sense of belonging and the knowledge she gained from the Polli Samaj group meetings, Shahena formed a team of adolescents just as fierce as herself, secured help from her teachers, and successfully prevented the child marriage of a close friend and a cousin.

Shahena and her friends are determined to end child marriage in their community.

Reflecting on her source of strength, she talks at length about her mother, who went through an extraordinary transformation of her own. Initially advocating for Shahena's early marriage, her mother today serves as an active member of their Polli Samaj group, rallying in support of gender equality – shoulder to shoulder with her daughter.

Witnessing her mother's incredible journey gave Shahena the strength to forge her own path.

At 17 years old, Shahena has been an integral part of the Polli Samaj Group for the past year and a half. Education remains her priority, but her vision extends further. 

She dreams of building a shelter one day for at-risk and vulnerable girls like her younger self – a safe space of their own, a tight-knit community to hold onto, so that they can reclaim their rights, rebuild their lives, and rewrite their own destinies.