Kathmandu: Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), joined Bhagyashri Dengle, Regional Director of Plan International Asia Pacific, in Bangkok on November 28, 2025 to launch the Asia edition of the State of the World’s Girls Report 2025, titled “Let Me Be a Child, Not a Wife.”
The event convened government officials, civil society leaders, youth advocates, and international partners to spotlight the urgent need for coordinated action to address challenges faced by adolescent girls, including barriers in education, health, safety, and leadership opportunities.
The 2025 report documents the lived experiences of married girls across diverse settings, highlighting persistent gaps in education, healthcare, protection, and socio-economic opportunities, while amplifying their voices to inform global policy and advocacy.
In his keynote remarks, Ambassador Sarwar stressed that efforts must go beyond prevention and ensure married girls have access to essential services, including education, psychosocial support, protection mechanisms, and pathways to empowerment. He underscored the importance of regional frameworks such as the SAARC Regional Action Plan on Adolescent Pregnancy and the Regional Stakeholders Working Group on Adolescent Pregnancy in tackling root causes and aligning regional priorities with the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Secretary General expressed appreciation for the ongoing collaboration among SAARC, Plan International, civil society, UN agencies, and development partners, noting that these partnerships have strengthened regional dialogue and built national capacities.
He also cautioned that global challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate impacts, displacement, and entrenched gender inequalities, continue to heighten vulnerabilities for girls and, in some instances, reverse progress.
Ambassador Sarwar called on governments, civil society, community leaders, and families to intensify integrated, multi-sectoral actions while ensuring girls’ voices, agency, and participation remain central to policymaking.
Reaffirming SAARC’s commitment, he concluded, “When South Asia protects its daughters, it protects its future. Together, let us continue building a South Asia where every girl is safe, empowered, educated, and free to shape her own future.”
