Annual Report for the Year 2010
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Annual Report 2010 – 2011 Banchte Shekha Shaheed Mashiur Rahman Road Jessore-7400 ; Phone: 0421-68885 E-mail: [email protected] 1 Message from the Executive Director‟s Desk Banchte Shekha(BS) has carried out another one year: 2010-2011. With this, BS has completed its 35 years in the arena of women and children development. It was never and neither an easy task to empower women in the family nor in the society. BS from its beginning has hoisted its flag to establish human rights and equal justice for the women in the society. In the early stages it was not so trouble-free a job to aware women regarding human and women rights. Women were shackled and their mouths were tied up, they had to tolerate injustice in silence as they had no voice and decision making power. Whatever and wherever women go injustice go along with them as they have no education and earning capacity which gives the source to stand against all atrocities and injustice of the society. Keeping all those things in mind, BS from its very beginning tried to provide education and skill to the poor and deprived women to become self supported and reliant. From our experience we have seen women are disregarded and neglected if they are not involved with money, skill and technology related activities. In this year some of the new activities have been added to the project lists. Education and Water and Sanitation projects have very important role in BS. We are grateful to Government, Donors and International NGOs who are supporting BS‟ work for a long time especially to Manusher Jonno Foundation for the 3rd phase grant to activate and functionalize the CBO. Special thanks to Oxfam who are assisting BS for a long time of nearly 11 years. We express our heartfelt gratitude to IDEA-Onlus, Amader Gram, Liliane Foundation, Flood Hazard Resource Center and Vannozza Bellaseta for their kind and continuous support. Angela Gomes Founder and Executive Director Banchte Shekha is one of the largest women and children organizations in the southern part of Bangladesh based in Jessore working since 1976 to improve the socio-economic condition of women in the region with a long-term objective to empower women and reduce poverty in the depressed areas for the disadvantage people particularly vulnerable women. Over the 35 years Banchte Shekha has been reorganized as a key player in liberating and empowering the women of Bangladesh are attracting many visitors from organizations around the world, interested in seeing the work and impact of Banchte Shekha‟s work. From the inception of Banchte Shekha, she aims to improve the socio-economic condition of her beneficiaries in the working area especially to establish the women and child rights. She performed for a positive change likely economical, cultural, women empowerment, human rights establishment by facing different types of challenges and risks including prolonged conflict, confrontation, natural disaster, social trend and tendencies, fundamentalism etc. In this connection she set up a target of components including Community Mobilization and Institutional Strengthening, Income Generating Activities, Health Hygiene and Nutrition, Education. In every component, she had a good achievement and success finding better scope of work opportunities in her working area among other success providers. She had a long experience in implementing these components both in rural and urban area including most high-risk slums of Bangladesh. Established in 1976 it has grown to serve more than 300,000 women in Khulna, Rangpur, Barishal and Dhaka division, indirectly more than 15 lacs people are being benefited by Banchte Shekha‟s programmes. The organization is registered with the Department of Social Welfare and under the Foreign Donations (Voluntary) Regulation Act. It has also embodied with Joint Stock under Company‟s Registration Act. Vision of the organization A society, which fulfils the fundamental demands of the poor women and children, in which social harmony, peace, justice and ecological balance prevail Mission Banchte Shekha will bring about an improved quality of life for the poor women and children in the social and economic sphere. Especially by using awareness techniques to empower the beneficiaries with the skills to survive and to assist them to access their legal and democratic rights. Goal Develop society where the basic rights of women and children are established Community Initiatives to Reduce Violence Against Women (CIRVAW) project Space for Community Involvement: „A vibrant community can change & make their world possible‟ was the main passion of the project of Banchte Shekha a leading NGO of Bangladesh. There was so much need to reach out to the women, to empower them and give them hope that they can do anything they like and need. In this context the project tried to form pressure groups within the community to discourse violence against women. Not only that the project also created opportunities for the community to plan their own programs, and in that way the community began to own the project. The project is flexible enough to accommodate the wishes of the community. One outcome of serious community engagement is that people enjoy a sense of ownership. They feel that a project is theirs, and they are responsible for its success. The project believes that a change that emanates from within will be more permanent. Encourage Change from Within Banchte Shekha has started its journey with Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) to change attitude and behavior at different levels of society to contribute to improve the quality of life of oppressed and disadvantaged women. The objective of this project is not being to impose a new value system or way of operating on a community. Rather, it is offering people an opportunity to think critically about what they are doing and why, thereby fostering change from within and with an expectation that by 2010 women will be empowered through leadership and taking part in decision making at family & community level in 19 unions of five Upazillas‟ under Jessore, Narail and Gazipur district. Ninety four „women empowerment and rights establishment committee‟ members are representing from unprivileged community people, religious minority communities and most vulnerable groups of local community. Initiating and building support for action to combat violence against women, the project has been able to form 19 Community Based Organizations (CBOs). The 1st phase of the project was started in August 2003 for three years; the 2nd phase was started from August 2006 for another three years with 242, 907, 44. 00 financial involvement for 4090 direct 40900 indirect development associates (benefited groups). Finally the two phases have ended on 31 July, 2009. Being a successful project, 3rd phase has started from 1 October, 2009. Adopt Right based approach and strengthening community initiatives: Empowering women and community to claim their rights are helping sustain efforts to combat violence against women is the main intervention of the project, which is titled “Community Initiatives to Reduce Violence against Women”. Where an abused marginalized/oppressed woman are coming to know that she is entitled to quality medical cares, counseling and legal services, as well as to employment and income to reintegrate her in the society. Cultural, social, economical and sometimes political factors contribute to violence against women; considering the all- project has given priority on empowerment of the community through right based approach has proved an effective strategy in addressing it. This approach can be justified in terms of the costs and consequences of violence to women‟s health, income, social acceptance, firm on decision, access to govt. resources, and increased dignity. Community based organizations (CBOs) and Women empowerment and Rights Protection Committees has carried out advocacy and awareness-raising activities to end violence against women and bring about positive change at the Hindu family and overall community level. Policy and decision makers at the local and highest levels of government are also targeted for enact the Hindu Marriage registration and divorce act. With the expectation of that such change will help to create a more supportive environment for improvements in the mental & social health of women and the realization of their rights. The project is trying to sensitizing husbands and in-laws on the adverse physical, mental and social consequences of violence against women and empowering women in decision-making roles within the family & community. Through creating pressure groups named Empowerment committee in the community to advocate against domestic violence Community Based Organizations (CBO) are trying successfully to identify and collect information about the incidents of violence against women and children happened in their area through Women Empowerment Committee and providing legal supports in terms of both informal and formal settings. 19 CBOs has been formed and registered with district women affairs department the project is facilitating these CBOs to address VAW and strengthening their capacity. Strong community movement can achieve many things: The project is trying to create the growing visibility and awareness of violence against women, its causes and suffering of women, their families and in society at large. Community pursues Banchte Shekha to take the advocacy program for creating a positive environment to make Hindu Marriage Registration Law. In this regard, BS has already been able to raise a voice in favor of the law among Hindu community as well as local influential persons both in government and community level. Already 2700 people from Narail district signed in favor of this law and handover a memorandum to local MP (last government) gave commitment to bring a bill in the Parliament. A total of 108 Hindu marriages have been registered notary public, UP or in symbolic paper. The civil society members, leaders from Hindu community, national media, national and international development organizations, law minister are aware about the law and feeling a positive sense to be a law in the country.