ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2025
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 60,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2025 on 7,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 290+ campuses worldwide (less than 5%) were selected to host the 4,500+ Millennium Fellows.
UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT SHAMIMA TAHERA, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2025.
University of Dhaka | Dhaka, Bangladesh | Advancing SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 2, SDG 6, SDG 10, SDG 13, SDG 15 & UNAI 3
" "I, Shamima Tahera, am deeply passionate about fostering civic citizenship, combating child marriage, addressing climate change, and promoting gender equity. I believe every girl holds immense potential, and with proper mentorship and resources, they can surpass societal expectations. Inspired by those who supported my dreams, I am driven to empower young girls, champion their aspirations, and create a sustainable future where their voices shape communities and drive meaningful change through my journey being a Millennium Fellow." "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Futures Unchained
This youth-led initiative addresses one of South Asia's most critical challenges: child marriage in Bangladesh's climate-vulnerable coastal regions. With 39% of child marriages occurring following climate-induced disasters in coastal areas like Satkhira, and 70% of women aged 20–24 married before age 18 nationally, the urgent need for peer-led awareness and community mobilization is undeniable. Futures Unchained represents a strategic intervention targeting the root cause of child marriage: lack of adolescent girl awareness about legal rights, health consequences, and educational opportunities.
The project operates on a transformative premise: teenage girls themselves are the most credible messengers for behavioral and social norm change. Rather than top-down messaging from adults, peer education creates psychological safety for discussing marriage resistance, builds collective efficacy among girls, and demonstrates that refusing early marriage is possible and acceptable within their communities.
About the Millennium Fellow
Shamima Tahera, an industrious and responsible novice social science researcher, is a student in the Department of Population Sciences at the University of Dhaka. She is an ex-cadet sergeant, certified volunteer, Research Team Co-Lead at Climate Frontier, and Grassroots Policy Envoy at Youth Policy Forum. Tahera has contributed to academic discussions through blogs on topics like deglobalization and gender equality for the Dhaka University Model United Nations Association. Her work also includes volunteering with organizations like Alokito Kori and the Dhaka University Research Society, reflecting her commitment to social issues and research. And she believes continuity is the key to success, not only to improve oneself but also to contribute to the country and society. Last but not least, she dreams of an equitable society by working on SDG 1, SDG 2, SDG 3, SDG 5, SDG 6, SDG 10, SDG 11, and SDG 13.
