7teen Rising: Celebrating Youth Empowerment
At a time when conversations around adolescence, gender, and SRHR still face cultural hesitation, “Beyond RHRN: 7teen Rising, Futures Together” emerged as a new wave of openness and youth-led dialogue. Held on October 15–16 October 2025, at Hotel Bengal Blueberry in Gulshan-2, Dhaka, the two-day event was organised by Wreetu Health and Well-being Foundation and its youth platform, 7teen, under the Right Here, Right Now (RHRN2) project.
The celebration also marked the successful completion of Wreetu’s decade-long journey under the global RHRN initiative, recognising its continued impact on youth empowerment and SRHR awareness in Bangladesh. The programme highlighted the achievements of 7teen, Bangladesh’s first content-based digital platform created exclusively for teenagers. The platform provides age-appropriate, engaging resources on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as well as essential life skills.
Over the two days, the event featured an inspiring mix of storytelling, dialogue, and personal reflection through sessions led by vibrant speakers and youth leaders. The opening session welcomed participants with remarks from Sharmin Kabir and youth representative Sumon Acherjee, followed by a soulful performance by Ruhi, a student from Kishoreganj. A short audio-visual presentation captured 7teen’s growth under the RHRN banner, while Tahmina Kabir and Mehbuba Mouli Suchana shared insights into the project’s milestones.
The programme also featured an interactive workshop titled “Partnering with 7teen: Why Invest in Teens?” conducted by Light of Hope CEO Waliullah Bhuiyan, highlighting collaboration and sustainability in adolescent-focused content creation. A teen-led session brought together speakers such as Mohammad Fazle Rabbi (SOS Children’s Village), Sadat Hossain (CyberTeens), and Simran M Aria (Shurjodoy Child Forum), who shared their experiences on digital empowerment and self-awareness. The event concluded with a Teen Idea Challenge award ceremony and a cultural segment celebrating creativity and youth voices.
Founded by Sharmin Kabir, Wreetu and 7teen have been consistently working to normalise conversations around puberty, menstruation, and emotional well-being among adolescents. Their creative learning tools, including the illustrated comics “মেয়েদের দুরন্ত বয়ঃসন্ধি” (The Eventful Adolescence of Girls) and “ছেলেদের দুরন্ত বয়ঃসন্ধি” (The Eventful Adolescence of Boys), have sparked a new wave of change in how SRHR education reaches young audiences across Bangladesh.
In her opening remarks, Sharmin Kabir spoke candidly about the importance of reshaping boys’ understanding of respect and relationships. “There was a time when some boys misunderstood love as control, believing dominance was a form of care. True change begins when we unlearn these ideas and rebuild relationships on empathy and mutual respect,” she said. She also pointed out that conversations about SRHR often revolve only around girls, while boys’ mental health and their experiences with puberty are largely ignored. “Everyone talks about girls, but what about boys? What about their feelings, their mental health, their puberty?” she asked, calling for a more inclusive approach to SRHR. Sharmin Kabir also highlighted how anger often begins within the home, noting that some boys, in moments of rage, even resort to violence toward their mothers, which has given a painful reminder of why teaching empathy and emotional awareness from an early age is so crucial. Her words captured the essence of the event, nurturing a generation grounded in awareness, understanding, and equality.
Speakers at the event praised Wreetu’s efforts to build confidence and awareness among adolescents, noting that digital platforms like 7teen play a crucial role in delivering accurate, stigma-free information. “The success of 7teen under RHRN shows that when young people are given the right tools and guidance, they can take charge of their own well-being and future,” one speaker said.
As the RHRN initiative marks ten years of impact, Wreetu pledged to continue 7teen as a safe, creative, and empowering digital space for Bangladesh’s teenagers—helping them grow into confident, informed, and compassionate individuals. Through storytelling, education, and empathy-driven learning, Wreetu Health and Well-being Foundation and 7teen are breaking taboos and nurturing a culture grounded in respect, equality, and understanding.
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