Girl Power Project
Project Objectives:The main objective of this project is to increase awareness and strengthen Civil Society Organizations through lobbying and advocacy. The project also works for improving legal protection systemforestablishing rights and justice of young women.The aim is to increase the capacity of right holders (Girls and Young Women) for protecting GBV.
Project Goal: Reduce gender based violence against Girl and Young Women.
Donor Name: International Child Development Initiatives (ICDI)
Project Duration: 2011-2015
Project Target Group:Girls and young women, Civil Society organization and Duty bearers.
Project Working Area:
District: Shariatpur Upaziila/sub district: 1. Sadar Zanjira 2. Bhedarganj 3. Naria 4. Damuddiya 5. Goshairhat
Project Background: The Girl Power (GP) Program is an effort by six experienced Dutch civil society organizations (ICDI, Women Win, Free Voice (now merged into Free Press Unlimited), Child Helpline International, DCI-Ecpat, and Plan in the Netherlands) who joined forces in the Child Rights Alliance (CRA) to fight violations of rights that affects girls and young women in 10 developing countries. The GP program (started in 2011) is developed under the MFS-II subsidy facility of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In Bangladesh GPP is being implemented in eight districts in Bangladesh by six member organizations leaded by Plan Bangladesh;among which SDS is implementing the Shariatpur project with the financial support of ICDI.
Project overview (dropdown here)
Human Resource:Project Manager, Technical Officer, Training Officer, Accounts officer, Upazila coordinator (6 people), and Office assistant.
Project overview
Facilitate media campaign with primary focus on girls and women issues:
1. Newsletter publication on events and Case- follow up on girl & women rights violation.
2. Booklet published on VAW & G
3. Media campaign using video drama show.
Orientation on gender, sports and human rights to the female students of secondary Schools and to the Community Girls:
1. Karate training for the community and secondary school going girls.
2. Meeting with girl students to develop sport team in schools.
3. Provide sport instruments to the newly formed sport teams.
Awareness campaigns are conducted (world women day, rural women day, HIV AIDS day, human rights day, Rokeya Day will observed for creating awareness)
1. Publication of Posters& Leaflets.
2. Awareness sessions on VAW, protective measures and empowerment processes.
3. Training on performing street drama show.
4. Organizing street drama showswhere members of girls group will perform.
5. IGA-life skill training.
6. Materials supply after IGA skill trainings.
7. Basic journalism training for girls.
8. Provide life skills training/ training for employ girls and young women in income generating chores.
9. Development Training Modules and Activities Guidelines.
10. Developing Girl’s club.
11. Awareness sessions using social/religious platforms at community level and by open discussion
12. Script writing and painting for POT song session to aware community people.
13. Organize POT show & song session to aware community people.
14. Small group discussion sessions held at community level using community/social platforms.
15. Campaign by Community leaders at Upazila level.
16. Billboards for showcasing information on VAW and child rights especially girl child rights.
Pictorial documentation of Child rights especially the rights of Girls and young women with the notion of local culture and practices:
1. Folk songs on Girl & Young women rights.
2. Ensuring involvement of community leader and family members.
3. Cultural shows on VAW and child rights with adolescent forum.
Workshop on gender in sportsfor teachers, SMC, parents, local elites and relevant Govt. officials:
1. Dialogue between duty bearers and young women group.
2. Advocacy meetings with different institutions (school/collage) for forming sports teams and for continuing to form sports teams.
3. Follow-up meetings for evaluating the usefulness of above mentioned Advocacy meetings.
Competition on writing song, poems about girl and young women rights at District level.
Organizing cultural events during Bangla NabaBarsa (Pohelaboishakh), conducting women fair.
Trainingson issues related to girls and young women for Community Leaders (School Teachers, Religious leaders, NGO workers).
Sensitization workshops with Govt. officials and Community Leaders.
Lobbying with respective NGOs/Government shelter home authorities to refer victimsto the center.
Public hearing to disseminate the report of report card survey and to increase awareness for ensuring the rights of girls and young women.
Capacity building trainingsfor the duty bearers to ensure enhanced scope of girls and young women’s participation.
Workshops/round tables with Parliamentary standing committee for the enforcement of the existing laws.
Trainings for the duty bearers and CSOs on human rights and women related national and international laws and policies.
Workshops involving community leaders & duty bearers at Upazila level.
Advocacy meetings with forums and local clubs.
Dialogues at educational institutions; school & religious institutions.
Building alliance through regional steering Committees.
CSOs orientation on their roles and responsibilityand meetings.
Trainings/workshops for CBOs on issues related to girls and young women.
Trainings on Child Rights for 6 Upazila CBOs, trainings on protection &law.
Trainings on social taboos and superstitions for civil society/ CBOs.
Consultation meetings in Upazilas for forming CBOs.
Demonstration of effective intervention of state law and order by duty bearers against VAW & women rights to reduce gender violence.
Dialogues between CSOs and victims/ survivors from VAW for ensuring justice of civil laws.
Training on Child protection system/ Advocacy/ program development etc. for CSO and SDS staffs
Day long workshop with duty bearers and CSO
Workshops on advocacy for civil society organizations.
Dialogues, round tables meetings with public decision making forums.
Project inception workshops and Project briefing workshops with CSO & duty bearers.
Formation of village child protection committees.
Upazila wise consultation meeting to develop TOR on CSOs networking
Upazila wise meeting to sign the TOR on CSOs networking
Upazila wise CSOs networking meeting.
Meeting with decision making forum by girl forum.
Discussion session with the local level NGO officials.
GPP Staff capacity building (Training, workshop, seminar, conference) nationally and internationally.
Club maintenance including volunteer honorarium.
Bi-monthly meeting for girl women platform
convention on different issues highlighted
Dialogues held with larger society
Sensitization workshops with Media practitioners
Training Media practitioners
Project Budget: 1st year>100725€; 2nd year>126500€; 3rd year>120000 €; 4th year>126500 €; 5th year>124500 €; Total=598225 €
Implementation Plan:
The coalition members are working as strategic partners of the program. Together they are helping in providing technical inputs, monitoring support; advocating and lobbing in developing legal frame work, supporting in scaling up the proposed initiative, participating in meeting, providing advice and support in reviewing the progress. The Dutch Coalition partners in Bangladesh along with Plan Bangladesh’s partner NGOs combine their collective expertise to implement the program in a cost effective and geographically comprehensive way. Global and regional networks are also consolidated to maximize project output. The joining of expertise also enhanced technically the other activities planned, including CSO’s training, project evaluation, policy advocacy, and dissemination of lessons learned. In addition, the Coalition members are conducting liaisonwith human rights organizations, and with government authorities. These efforts will help to guide policy development and program implementation in a positive, pro-girls and young women community-based manner.
Along with increasing capacity on child protection and psychosocial concerns, coalition members are supporting community-based committees to design and implement projects to meet their own collectively defined needs, leading to greater sustainability.
Result
Civil society level:
1. Civil society is sensitized and capacitated to represent issues related to vulnerable and marginalized girls and young women.
2. Civil society is engaging and influencing public decision making forums to establish the voice of girls and young women in public decision- making.
3. Civil society along with the larger society is actively engaging to change cultural norms and values that are non-favorable for ensuring participation and organization of girls and young women.
4. Civil society perusing Govt. and Non Govt. parties to become aware of young women’s rights to participate in public decision-making.
5. Media is sensitized on issues concerning girls and young women.
Institution level:
1. A Caucus of MPs developed with the focus on girls and young women’s issues.
2. Current legislations/laws and policies are implemented/ reformed / enacted to support association and participation of girls and young women in decision-making.
3. Research conducted on Girls and Young Women issues to develop techniques for influencing policies.
4. Legal protection measures established for girls and young women through safe house.
5. Increased institutional care and support provided for girl victims of violence with the joint venture of CSO and GoB.
Socio-cultural Level:
1. Reduced Violence and discrimination.
2. The role of girls and young women in public life is valued by the society.
3. Organized girls and young women’s convention.
4. Positive attitudes, increased role andresponsibilities of CS for preserving the rights of girls and women.
5. Local government, socio-cultural groups are actively engaged in ensuring increased young women’s rights to participate in socio-cultural events.
Individual Level:
1. Girls and Young women are developing self-protective skills.
2. Girls and Young Women are making livelihood choices of their own.
3. Participation of Girls Young Women has been increased in appropriate forums.
Challenges:
Non-cooperation from various interest groups due to existing socio-cultural setup creates embargo on girls and young women empowerment process.
Project pictures
Case studies
Saved from child-marriage with the help of CBO
Md. Al Amin son of NasirBepari residing in Sokhipur Union, Word no 7, Village Patna SardarKandi (17 years old) makes his living by setting CCTV in various institutions throughout the country. Meanwhile he comes to join a marriage celebration of one of his neighbours’ where he met Sohagi (13 years old), daughter of Mohan Soiyal from Charsencus Union, Village Balar Bazar. They exchanged cellphone numbers and fell in love. About five months later when her family was trying to marry her off to a relative, she left home and went to Al Amin’s work place in Chittagong to marry him instead. But they were unable to get married due to the age restrictions. AlAmins’ neighbourHanifSeikh also worked in Chittagong and seeing them in trouble, he took Al Amin and Sohagi in. Al Amin’s family figured that if they don’t arrange for this marriage immediately they might get charged for kidnapping. The CBO Chairman came to know about this marriage and went to Al Amin’s house. He told Al Amin’s family that this marriage can’t happen since neither party are of age. He called the Upazila GPP coordinator and the local journalist to inform them about this possible child marriage.
Being afraid of criminal charges, the Groom’s relatives were eager to marry them off immediately. By then, more local people came to Al Amin’s house along with the CBO chairman and informed the Bride’s family. But the bride’s family didn’t respond thinking that if they bring back the girl home they won’t be able to face the society after this. At the day’s end the chairman of the CBO committee Md. Sirajul Islam, MostafijurRahman, (Chairman of Sokhipur Union Parishad) and Anwar bala (Chairman of Charcensus Union Parishad) arranged for the bride and groom to go to Charcensus Union where they sat on a meeting with their guardians. After a long discussion the parents were asked to take their children home and were told that they need to study and become of age before getting married, then everyone will help them in this marriage. Both parties agreed to the terms and till now there has been no misunderstanding between them. This is a successful story of how CBO committee and the civil society can play a role in stopping child marriage. Md. Sirajul Islam in his own words said that, “By stopping this child marriage I feel proud of myself, I feel that I have made a contribution to the society.”
Dreaming to live once again
RubinaAkhter (21 years old), daughter of Md. Rashid bepari is a resident of East GoiddaVillage, word no 8, Vedargong Upazilla. When she was only a student of grade five her mother who was mental patient left home and never came back. Later on, Rubina’s father also became ill searching for his wife and died a premature death. After her father’s sudden death she started living with her sister and brother-in-law. Her brother-in-law is a carpenter and due to insolvency,Rubina failed to attend the SCC (Secondary School Certificate) examination even though she continued her education until grade ten. On September 2009, she was married off to a driver named Kamal. Within 6months of that marriage, after being vigorously tormented by her in laws, she had to come back to her sister’s house for good. On year 2011, soon after she came to know about Girl Power Program, she became a member. She has already received IGA training from Girl Power Project and with the financial support from the project has started her own business along with two other friends who also received IGA training from GPP. She has found a way to support herself and her dreams for the future has also changed. Few months ago she didn’t have any dreams and used to think that she will be living the rest of her life at other’s mercy. By finding a way to support herself financially she has also found new dreams and hopes.