Phase 1 of CARE’s Tipping Point project addressed child marriage through a dynamic process of innovation, insight, and influence in 90 communities of Sunamganj, Bangladesh, in partnership with Action for Social Development (ASD) and Jaintia Shinnomul Songstha (JASHIS). In this first phase, the project promoted girls’ rights and choices around marriage through focused engagement with collectives of girls, boys, and parents, who received skills trainings and conducted advocacy events to promote gender-equitable social norms. The project also engaged allies and potential champions for girls’ rights, including government and civil society, to help drive social change and direct more resources towards girls’ empowerment in project communities.
At the conclusion of Phase 1, an external evaluation team visited a sample of project sites to conduct data collection with girls, boys, parents, and community members. Based on the evaluators’ findings, Tipping Point’s iterative and adaptive strategies have proven to be effective in supporting social norms that promote gender equity.