Rokeya Kabir, the Executive Director of BNPS is answering a question comes from the audience
BNPS continues its gender budget campaign to eliminate gender discrimination and achieve the Millennium Development Goals related to gender equity and reduce maternal mortality. In a post-budget press conference BNPS demanded to dedicate 7 percent of GDP in national budget for women’s advancement. Despite this common demand from women’s movement budget declared a week ago showed only an obscure 4.5 percent allocation for women. Read the rest of this entry »
Honorable Deputy Speaker of parliament is sharing his opinion on maternal mortality
Both govt. and opposition’s women Members of Parliament have pledged to mount up their voice to take proper budgetary actions to halt maternal mortality in country. They expressed their concern in an opinion sharing meeting styled ‘Reflection of Millennium Development Goal in national Budget’ organised by Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha on 5th June at a restaurant at Dhanmandi in city. Deputy speaker of parliament Colonel (Rtd.) Sawkat Ali, Hasanul Huq Inu MP, Project Director of Community Health Clinic Project Dr. Makhduma Nargis Ratna, former president of Bangladesh Medical Association Dr. Rashid E Mahbub were presented at the sharing including thirteen women MPs from Awami League and BNP. Read the rest of this entry »
A sharing meeting with educationists on content analysis
BNPS undertook an initiative to analyze the gender sensitivity of the school text books and awareness materials produced by different government and non-government agencies related to reproductive health and HIV/AIDS. Particular attention was paid on the presentation of HIV/AIDS issues in the school text books. This content analysis initiative was undertaken in October 2009 as a part of its on going project named, Making Education Gender Responsive and Preventive to HIV/AIDS. This exercise was required to address the limitations of existing education materials while BNPS produces its own materials to be experimented in six schools under the above-mentioned project activities and ultimately recommends the results to the government to incorporate these lessons in the school system. Read the rest of this entry »
Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS) is currently implementing three different projects. These are: Promoting Rights through Mobilization and Empowerment (PRiME), Promoting Rights of Women Through Changing Mindset and Making Education gender responsive and preventive to HIV/AIDS.
Promoting Rights through Mobilization and Empowerment (PRiME)
Ms. Rokeya Kabir, the Executive Director of BNPS is delivering her introductory speech to the participants of Annual Progress Review Workshop of PRiME Project
BNPS is mainly grounded at grassroots; working with the marginalized women in rural areas and urban slums. Promoting Rights through Mobilization and Empowerment or PRiME is the core program of BNPS which translates the mission statement of the organization into action. With the support of EED, Germany this program was initiated in July 2008. After successful completion of this one-year program in June 2009, it has been extended for another three years (July 2009—June 2012). MISEREOR of Germany has joined EED to support the 2nd phase of PRiME..
This is the first major project BNPS has undertaken after the end of six-year long government blockade imposed on BNPS to access foreign fund.
Activities of the project are being implemented in Netrakona, Barhatta, Sandwip and urban areas of Chittagong and Dhaka city. A total of 47 Union Councils and Wards of one municipality, two City Corporations and three Upazilas have been covered by the project activities.
To improve economical, social and cultural status of women and disadvantaged people following major activities are carried out under the project:
- Building women’s organizations
- Developing their leadership capacity for social action and economic activities
- Enhancing women’s participation in local governance
- Enabling them to manage their livelihood through skill development and accessing to market, and
- Mobilize community to advance social causes which impact on women’s advancement and empowerment.
In the present phase, special policy advocacy initiative will be undertaken to Implement Chittagong Hill Tract Peace Treaty and Promote Rights, Harmony and Development in CHT.
In addition to direct beneficiaries, socially and economically disadvantaged women, of the project women organizations, community and political leaders, government officials, students and teachers of schools, colleges, and universities and other potential people’s organizations as well as members of the civil society groups are also involved in different advocacy program activities of the project.
The experience of past phase of PRiME has proven the effectiveness in creating more space for poor and marginalized women groups for improving their condition in family and society. Besides, as social-actor youth/student, teachers, civil society members, and opinion makers will continue playing a supportive role in the struggle of establishing a democratically dignified and gender just society.
Promoting Rights of Women Through Changing Mindset
The two-years long project “Promoting Rights of Women Through Changing Mindset”, aimed at making effective interventions to push the policy makers to deliver women’s constitutional rights in Bangladesh. This project is being financially supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund (UNDEF) . Institute for Environment and Development (IED) is the implementing partner of this project.
The country has significant constitutional provisions and statutory laws guaranteeing human and fundamental rights and women’s equal rights. However, it is well recognized that poor quality of governance and non-implementation of these national policies has undermined the constitutional pledges.
The project has been implementing to identify the gaps and sensitize various actors like policy makers, government duty bearers and civil society, as well as the international community to take up targeted interventions for increased status of women.
The project’s activities include conducting studies on the present status of women in the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP), in national budget allocations and the implementation of government policies and international covenants on gender issues. These three studies, entitled (i) “Study to identify the status of women in PRSP in Bangladesh”, (ii) “Study to Identify the Status of Women in National Budget of Bangladesh” and (iii) “Study to Identify the Status of Implementation of Policies and other Commitments related to Women in Bangladesh” are being coordinated by Dr. Kaniz N. Siddique (International Consultant, Ministry of Finance, GoB), Dr. Protima Paul-Majumdar (Bangladesh Institute for Development Studies) and Dr. Salahuddin M. Aminuzzaman (Public Administration Department, Dhaka University) respectively.
Findings of the studies will be disseminated through organizing seminars, workshops, consultations, and media campaign. In the process of organizing these activities various sections of the society including government officials, professional groups, intellectuals, columnists and journalists will be involved along with women’s groups and civil society networks.
After a successful implementation of the project, it is expected that the issues of women and marginalized groups will be integrated into the national policies and budget from a rights and equity perspective instead of a welfare perspective and a process of movement will be organized for integrating women’s issues in the national policy and budget and their appropriate implementation.
Above-mentioned policy studies are the legacy of earlier works carried out by BNPS since 2001. Allocation for Wonen in National Budget (2001), Reflection of Women’s Voice and National Gender Objectives in the National Budget of Bangladesh (2003), National Education Budget of Bangladesh and Empowerment of Women (2005), Role of National Budgetin Developing Entrepreneurship Among Women of Bangladesh (2006), Factors Affecting Utilization Efficiency of Allocation Earmarked for Women’s Development in the Matopma; Budget of Bangladesh. (2007), Role of Fiscal Policy in Achieving a Gender Responsive National Budget Bangladesh (2008) are the policy analysis studies on gender budgeting initiative by BNPS. PRSP in Bangladesh from Gender Perspective is the analysis of PRSP done in 2008.
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Sharing of Findings of Study on “Status of Women in PRSP in Bangladesh”
Netrakona
Institute for Environment and Development (IED) in collaboration with Bangladesh Nari Progati Songha (BNPS) organized a workshop for sharing the findings of research report entitled “Status of Women in PRSP in Bangladesh.” This workshop was held on October 1, 2009 at Press club auditorium, Netrakona. The workshop was moderated by Ms. Shahnaz Sumi, Deputy Director of BNPS and presided over by Professor Jatin Sarkar while Dr. Kaniz N. Siddique, the consultant of the study, presented the research findings. Mr. Md. Nurul Amin, Deputy Commissioner, Netrakona attended the seminar as chief guest. Mr. Swapan Pal (Swabolombi, a local NGO), Ms. Rehena Siddika and Mr. Habibur Rahman, ex-teachers were the panel discussant in the event. About 64 participants from different ministries of the government, LG representatives, civil society members, women leader, businessperson, development activists, lawyers, political leaders & activists, teachers, journalists provided their insights on the study. Among others, Mr. Khandokar Anisur Rahman, local Secretary of Communist Party of Banglades, Mr. Sanwar Hossain Bhuian, local President of Udichi (a national cultural organization), Mr. Ziaur Rahman Khokon, Secretary of Shikor (local cultural organization), Ms Rehena Siddika local Secretary of Mohila Parishad, Ms. Tuhin Akter, Vice chairman of Netrakona UZ (local government tier), Ms. Alpona Begum, local correspondent of national daily Sangbad and Mr. Gazi Mozammel Hossain Tuku, Secretary, Chatro League (student organization) participated in the open discussion.
A partial view of the workshop
The research argued that that a half of the population is women, so no development is possible excluding them. Considering barriers and reality of women regarding their economic and social status, PRSP was formulated but not adequately addressed the multi-dimensional issues of women. 27% households in Bangladesh are headed by women but they own only 2% of total land. Bangladesh could not proceed to achieve gender equality with discriminatory personal & religious laws, political culture, patriarchal socio-economic system and mindset and lack of political commitment. She also emphasized the importance of gender sensitivity of the community and policy-makers and recommended a gender responsive framework into PRSP & other policy formulation process in the country to reduce gender-gap for holistic development.
This study was conducted under BNPS’ policy study and advocacy project entitled, Promoting Rights of Women through Changing Mindset. As the implementing partner of the project IED organized this local level workshop to disseminate the findings of the study and to gather opinion of various local level stakeholders.
Barisal
Sharing of findings of the study “Status of Women in PRSP in Bangladesh” was held on October 14, 2009 at Press club auditorium, Barisal. The workshop was moderated by Ms. Shahnaz Sumi, Deputy Director of BNPS and presided over by Professor Md. Hanif, ex-principal, BM College, Barisal. Mr. Palash Kanti Bala, Assistant Deputy Commissioner (Education) of Barisal district and local human rights activist Dr. Habibur Rahman attended the seminar as chief guest and special guest respectively. Ms. Delwara Islam, ED, Bodhumata Sheba Shomity, Barisal; Ms. Foyzunnesa Shely, Lecturer, Islamia College, Barisal and Mr. Hafizur Rahman, ED, IRD, Barisal were the panelists in the event. Sixty-three participants from different sectors (government officials including social service officer, local government representatives, civil society members, women leaders, businessperson, development activists, lawyers, political leaders & activists, cultural activists, trade union leaders, teachers, students, journalists) took part in the workshop.
The participants of the workshop claimed that the enormous contributions of the women are not fully recognized while the economic growth of the country is highly praised. On the other hand women get disproportionately smaller share of the gains from these achievements. In the IPRSP women are presented primarily as a destitute group and as passive beneficiaries of the actions of others. The strategy must address the fact that women need regular employment, reasonable income options, decent work conditions and safe work places just as much as men do. They require applicable skills, capital for investment, personal security in public and private spheres, access to public and private services. Women need access to networks and groups for solidarity and protection against oppression and exploitation. Women need space and the skills for participation in social and political processes. The PRSP was expected to address gender issues with the aim of empowering women in general.
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Making Education gender responsive and preventive to HIV/AIDS
Ms. Nazneen Akhter, the Executive Director of HASAB is conducting a session with BNPS staff on HIV AIDS
BNPS has undertaken the Making Education Gender Responsive and Preventive to HIV/AIDS project in March 2009. This project will contribute to develop an effective education and awareness system that effectively address the gender inequalities, power imbalance and its impacts on reproductive health and spread of HIV/AIDS. With the support of Oxfam Novib this project will continue until February 2011.
This project will try to achieve following five objectives:
• In order to develop education materials appropriate for this project a mapping of materials produced by public and private sectors in relation to gender, reproductive health and HIV/AIDS will be done
• Gender responsive, reproductive health/HIV/AIDS-oriented lesson plans and learning materials will be developed
• Teaching capacity and knowledge level of selected school teachers, community health workers and BNPS front line staff/volunteers will be developed
• Students/young women and community people will be sensitized on gender inequalities and its impact on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS
• A national consensus about reformed education system sensitive to gender, and its impact on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS and poverty will be build.
Activities of this project will be implemented in Dhaka (metropolitan city) and Netrokona district (urban area) and Barhattta upazilla (rural area) of Netrkona. 800 students (60% girls and 40% boys) of six schools will participate in this program directly. In addition to this community members (parents/guardians and adolescent girls) will also receive awareness on gender inequalities and its perceived impact on reproductive health and HIV/AIDS.
Twenty four teachers, 20 frontline staff of BNPS and 16 Community Health Workers (CHW) will be equipped with necessary capacity, awareness and knowledge to conduct sessions both at schools and in the community for a total number of 9,290 male and female participants from different section of people.
The project ultimately aims at influencing policy-makers, civil society groups and government officials to incorporate the issues of gender inequality and its impact on HIV/AIDS in school curriculum.
As of September 2009, a consultant is analyzing contents of different education materials developed by various government (NCTB and MoHFW) and non-government (six national five international) institutes to identify the gaps and suggest alternatives.
