ABOUT US
Why child marriage remains prevalent
Child marriage and gender inequality for many women is a byproduct of the lack of financial security faced by many families.
It’s a cycle of poverty that repeats itself—babies are born to underaged, economically dependent mothers with a lack of female role models. To these young girls, the only way to achieve economic security is by giving their young daughters over to be married, and the cycle repeats.
As a result, young women are systematically prevented from ever reaching their potential. And no one can fight for them at home. But you can help.
THE PROBLEM
12 million girls are married every year under the age of 18
As shocking as this may be, it is not a new phenomenon. For centuries, child marriage has taken the choice away from millions of young girls for how they wish to spend their lives. Over the centuries, child marriage has taken many forms and has been motivated by different factors. Today, most fall into some combination of the following driving factors.
Mai Soli Foundation estimates that approximately 1 in 3 of child marriages today are rooted in poverty. This typically refers to households that have very little money to support their children, and are fearful that their daughters will provide no help to their family financially. That fear drives parents to marry off their daughters, putting a roof over their heads and preventing the family’s financial ruin, even though it breaks their hearts.
That means an underage girl is married once every three seconds
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Our Mission
Our Vision
Our Mission
We empower girls to break the generational cycles of child marriage by providing education, entrepreneurship training, and family support that build choice, agency, and lasting independence.
Our Vision
Our vision is a world where child marriage no longer exists and every girl grows up with full choice and agency.
our approach
We help break the cycle through strategic intervention, partnering with local institutions to provide mentors that empower these young girls.
finding the root
We identify need gaps in individual communities and provide them with the relevant skill sets to create independence.
empower and inspire
We reach girls at a young age and help them build confidence and leadership skills through awareness, immersive and interactive coaching.
our programs
We're making a change
Fellowship program
The Mai Soli Fellowship is a highly selective, full-time 12-month program that transforms passionate graduates into powerful mentors and changemakers. Fellows lead small cohorts of at-risk girls in Chittagong, Bangladesh, guiding them through our Girls’ Empowerment Program to build confidence, unlock opportunities, and break free from the cycle of child marriage.
Ambassador program
The Mai Soli Ambassador Program brings together a global cohort of influential women who are passionate about using their platforms for change. As Ambassadors, they champion gender equality, raise awareness, and empower young girls in Bangladesh to pursue education and independence over child marriage.
By joining, Ambassadors become part of a powerful movement to create lasting impact for the next generation of women worldwide.
Volunteering
Lend your skills, time, or expertise to create lasting change for girls in Bangladesh. Whether you’re an individual professional, a student, or a company team, volunteering with Mai Soli means contributing directly to programs that protect girls from child marriage and open doors to education, entrepreneurship, and empowerment.
From mentoring and training to behind-the-scenes support, every volunteer helps strengthen our mission and give girls the chance to build brighter futures.
WHAT WE DO
Here's how we do it
click around the diagram to see how we break the cycle
THE FACTS
51% of Bangladeshi girls are married before turning 18.
- An underage girl is married once every three seconds
- More than 140 million girls will be married before age 18 in the next decade
- In some countries, girls as young as 7 years old are forced to marry adult men
- Parents often feel pressured to marry off their daughters for financial reasons
- Marrying off the girls eliminates the burden of feeding them for many families
- Natural disasters can exacerbate poverty that incentivize child marriage