Protecting Human Rights Cooperative Agreement No. AID-388-A-11-00002 USAID/Bangladesh
CHALLENGES It was very difficult to work with madras. At the very beginning the madrasa teachers were not agreed to allow NGO activities. There was a curtain between madrasa and school students. In madrasas very few girl students are admitted, so it was very difficult to access them. When we could mobilize the madras teachers though orientation and training they agreed to continue sessions but not with boy students. Finally we could change the curtain to sit together with boys to receive sessions on child marriage, sexual harassment and domestic violence. Muslim religious leaders particularly imams did not agree to attend meeting, orientation and workshop with female participants and facilitators. Barguna is one of the coastal districts of southern part of Bangladesh. Traditionally people are in conservative nature. A significant number of people were not interested in NGO activities. Male participants are not interested to attend courtyard sessions because they were not interested in women empowerment issues like – preventing domestic violence, child marriage sexual harassment, denmohar etc. Having there no module on Hindu Marriage it was very difficult to train the marriage registrar. Survivors did not agree to provide information and they would compromise with financial transactions. Delay of survivors notice to the opponent.
IV. SUSTAINABILITY PLAN Social Protection Group (SPG) will continue the initiative of further with their learning. Most of the SPG members are the members of Union Violence against Women and Children Committee, UP Sexual Harassment Committee. The School Management Committee and Madrasa Management Committees have been capacited due to involvement with PHR program and they will continue learning and play role to prevent sexual harassment, child marriage and other domestic violence related issues. Being driven by social accountability are the potential persons in the society and they will continue the practice at institutional as well as community level. The youth group will play the role of ambassador to prevent sexual harassment, domestic violence and child marriage. NSS, the implementing organization of PHR program will re-involve these youth groups in different issues. Already the organization has become a partner of Girls Advocacy Alliance (GAA) project with Plan International Bangladesh. The organization is implementing the GAA project in the same working area of PHR program. In addition there are more opportunities to involve the Ward SPGs (90) in the project. A good relationship has been developed with the administration and civil societies. In the meantime Barguna district has been declared as child marriage free district. Already a task force has been formed at Barguna to prevent child marriage. NSS is also a member of this task force and there is good opportunity to align the PHR systems. Page 33 of 34