Project Name : Strengthen civil society and public institutions to address combating gender based violence

Doner : Manusher Jonno Foundation & SIDA

Sector : Gender based violence

Area : Labsha Union, SatkhiraSadarUpazila

Time Line : August'2017 to September'2021

Brief of activities :

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (one page)

 RATIONALE OF PROJECT

Therefore the engagement of all important stakeholders to address the current level of violence against women and girls, and combating the climate change demand immediate steps.  SOHAY has huge experience of working under such environment and is the right organisation sitting in Satkhira to address the matter. As all SOHAY programme are carefully designed and choreographed to ensure that women in this country raise their voice and make them capable to change and challenge.  They should say good bye to those days where they had no other option than crying inside home.SOHAY programme uses holistic approached, fill the gaps, bring the supply and demand side to a place where both can talk build bridge to make sure each help the other and make sure the perpetrators get the punishment for their deed.Through this project SOHAY will change the local culture, practice and attitude, connect macro to micro and make a just society.

PROJECT GOAL: Reduction in Gender Based Violence in Public and Private Domains

PURPOSE:To enhance the capacity of civil society and public institutions to address violence against women in public and private domain

OUTPUT:
1.1 Men and boys are aware of women’s right to safety, security and bodily integrity at home, community and workplace.

1.2 Women are confident and equipped with leadership to prevent GBV

1.3 Civil society has capacity to monitor implementation of legislation, identify institutional constraints and develop strategies to prevent GBV.

2.1 Targeted citizens are capable of using social accountability tools to hold public institutions accountable on GBV issues

2.2 Targeted LGIs and public service providers have capacity to respond appropriately to victims of GBV

MAJOR ACTIVITIES

Project will form beneficiary group by involving men, boys, women and girls separately and also from social support group and organize session and meeting with them.  Project will also organize capacity building and leadership development for men and boys to change social norms and attitude, behavior by follow the develop specific modules and hand out on GBV. Beside those project will also organize capacity development of women and girls to protest GBV through orientation laws, salish procedure and strategy to get service from government institution. Project ensure the participation of school going children on GBV campaign and activities in local, district and national level. Project also develop a monitoring mechanism of GBV through ensure participation of community, CBO and Government institution. Project organize meeting, dialogue with community, LGIs members, Government service delivery office. Project also assist to the LGIs and government service delivery system to function properly. Project coordinate VAW prevention committee at union, upazila and district level.  

4. GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION:Labsha Union, SatkhiraSadarUpazila

5. TARGETED BENEFICIARIES& STAKEHOLDERS (DIRECT):Beneficiaries arevulnerable and victimize women and girls by violence and climate change and Stockholders arePolice, Health, Court, DWA, WLAO and different stakeholders at Upazila level.

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Background and rationale:

Bangladesh is one of the poorest populist countries in the world.  According to the present forecast of the global geologist and disaster experts, a part of the country could go under water due to sea level rise.  Satkhira is one of the districts that is under risk. This is a one of climate vulnerable hot spot. This has been observed clearly that women and children are the worst victims of climate change and more vulnerable.  Women are more insecurity due to early marriage, dowry, polygamy, oral divorce, eve teasing, wife beating, abduction, and intimidation are the common form of Violence Against Women (VAW).

In 2014 Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) national survey report on violence against women shows 87 per cent of Bangladeshi married women are abused by their husband. In 2015 BRAC report 82% of victims are children and youth, 87% women are abused by their husband, 40% of the perpetrators are local influential.

SOHAY is a non-profit social development organization works with the impoverished families for their development ensuring basic human and economic rights of vulnerabilities. The organization is registered under the NGOAB.  SOHAY is working since 2002 at present SOHAY is directly assisting 18,749 people and indirectly 68,245 people including working vulnerable women and girls.

SOHAY is implementing Community Legal Service (CLS) in south west in Satkhira districts and have first-hand experience of seeing unjust sufferings of the women and children especially girls due to climate change consequence.  This project capacitates the Union Information Centre closely work with the District Legal Aid Committee (DLAC).  SOHAY experience is very related with the proposed project and it will be very easy to implement this project in Satkhira district because the background work has been done.

Problem Analysis in comparison to local and national statistics:

This is not unknown that Satkhira is one of the climatic hazardous and women and girls violence prone areas. According to the environmental context it is situation in the ‘RED’ areas in the comparison with others climatic hazardous zone in the Bangladesh. Beside those in this region women and children are the worst victims of climate change and gender inequalities such as early marriage, dowry, polygamy, oral divorce, desertion, eve teasing, wife beating, abduction, intimidation are the common form of Violence Against Women (VAW). The region is also religiously conservative; a lot of gender-based violence goes unreported due to socio-political-cultural constraints and pressure.

According to the VAW survey 2015 that rates of lifetime partner violence (any form) were highest in rural areas (74.8%) and lowest in city corporation areas (54.4%).  Khulna division including satkhira is the most vulnerable as they face 60.1%  physical and 34.2% sexual violence.

This violence against women and girls are substantially high in the area due to the wrong religious influence and low education rate in the area.  Lot of violence against women go unreported due to social construction and influence of the senior family and influential local people.

Project development methodology

SOHAY was very careful before developing this proposal.  It knows very well that unless the project is developed properly, it would be difficult to address the problem prevail in the area.  Hence before the project development, the project development team visited the areas, spoke to the relevant stakeholders, such as the local government officials, local leaders, influential members in the society, school teachers, mass women, both victim of violence and nonviolence.  SOHAY project development team did the focus group discussion, one to one interview, stakeholder consultations, problem mapping with the local people and women.  Based on the outcome of the above SOHAY project development team drafted the proposal.  Therefore, SOHAY think this proposal correctly reflected how to address the local issue.

Project Component: 

Reduction in Gender Based Violence in Public and Private Domains:

Project Title: 

Strengthen civil society and public institutions to address combating gender based violence.

Purpose:         

To enhance the capacity of civil society and public institutions to address violence against women in public and private domain

Broad objective:

1. To promote gender equality and the protection of women’s human rights by reducing violence women & girls in targeted area.
2. Strengthening of public institutions to ensure responsiveness towards gender concerns including VAWG

Outcome 1:      

• Women leaders, men and boys take action to improve the GBV situation in targeted locations* through promoting gender   equality and the protection of women’s human rights.
  *Work places in two City Corporations and domestic and public places in 8districts

Outcome 2:    

• Public institutions respond effectively on GBV issues through improved cooperation with civil society organization.

Impact:          

GBV in public and private domain reduced and resilience of vulnerable communities to climate change improved.