The Hunger Project recognizes that deeply entrenched gender discrimination is the root of the persistence of hunger and poverty in Bangladesh. Empowering women and girls is the highest priority in all Hunger Project program activities, and all are designed to be the highest leverage actions we can take to catalyze a profound transformation in gender relations. These include:

• Grassroots Animators: Change Agents for a New Future for Bangladesh. Start reading here as this was the contextual analysis and starting point for all our gender-focused interventions in Bangladesh launched in the year 2000.
• Girl Child Day: The Hunger Project pioneered National Girl Child Day in the year 2000, building and providing the secretariat for the National Girl Child Advocacy Forum.
• Women’s Leadership — the Unleashed Women’s Network
• Safe schooling for girls initiatives by youth leaders
• Campaigns on birth registration
• Educational programs to end child marriage
• Halting dowry practices
• Public celebrations for women’s rights