A young Bangladeshi woman.

The Context: A Brief Overview of Bangladesh

Bangladesh at a glance
Government Type: Parliamentary Democracy
Languages: Bangla (official, also known as Bengali), English
Ethnic Groups: Bengali 98%, tribal groups, non-Bengali Muslims
Religious beliefs: Muslim 88%, Hindu 11%, other 1%
Labor force: Agriculture 62%, Manufacturing & Mining 8%, Other 30%

Total population: 146.6 million
Percent of the population under the age of 15: 35%
Urban population: 23%
Life expectancy: 61 years

Focus on reproductive health
Total fertility rate (average number of children born to a woman in her lifetime): 3
Contraceptive use among married women aged 15-49: 47% (modern methods); 58% (all methods)
Maternal mortality ratio (maternal deaths per 100,000 live births): 322*
Abortion is legal in Bangladesh to save the life of the woman.

Focus on young women
Percentage of females aged 15-19 who have ever been married: 48% 
Percentage of females who have given birth by age 18: 46%

Focus on HIV/AIDS
**Percentage of adult population (ages 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS: <0.1%
**Percentage of adult population (ages 15-49) living with HIV/AIDS who are women: 13%
**Number of HIV-positive adults (ages 15+): 11,000
**Number of HIV-positive women (ages 15+): 1,400

Focus on gender
Literacy rate for women (ages 15-24): 41%
Literacy rate for men (ages 15-24): 58%
Women as a percent of parliament: 2%
From 1995-2002, 56% of females ages 15+ were economically active compared to 87% of males ages 15+

Source: Population Reference Bureau, www.prb.org

*Source: Jahan R. Securing Maternal Health Through Comprehensive Reproductive Health Services: Lessons From Bangladesh. American Journal of Public Health 2007; 97 (7): 1186-1190.
**Source: UNAIDS, www.unaids.org