Human Rights Program

Project Title : 

Community mobilization project to end violence against women 

Funded By:

Oxfam GB

Project Duration:

2 years (from May 2009 to March 2011)

Total Project Fund:

76ooooo.oo 

Project Introduction:

Violations of women rights and violence against women appear to be a common issue nationally and internationally. At present, there are many policies, declarations and regulations developed nationally and internationally for the protection of rights of the women. But if we analyze the cases of violence and disparity against women that are happening regularly we certainly come to the conclusion that violation of rights of the women is seriously been undermined. They are loosing the scope to live free from inhumane torture, cruelty and violence.  

Apart from the events being circulated on violence against women, there are many more such events of indirect violence and disparity to the women. Usually most of the cases of domestic violence against the women are not circulated and the women suffer in silence. Directly and indirectly the women are victims of violence irrespective of caste and creed. Violence in the form of domestic violence in various natures is quite common. Women, as a whole, are victims of gender disparity and violence of various types. Violence usually starts at the very domestic level and spreads to the community and society and even to the national level. There are various factors working behind this scenario. 

However since the beginning of the decade, attempts have been made by organizations, to bring to the fore the problem of violence against women. These attempts have however been greatly hampered by lack of statistical information and specific programs to deal with the structural nature of violence against women. On the other hand when violence can exploit someone’s life in many ways less support from society can’. Being a victim of violence is widely recognized as a cause for mental health problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. So, counseling and psychosocial support can be extreme helpful for individuals who’s life in threat many ways. 

Say for example, through monitoring of cases at Thana, Hospital and court level, RUPANTAR has listed about 500 such cases and it has been found that most of the cases are originated from Domestic Violence recording at 78%.  The other cases are of rape, acid throwing, dowry etc. With all these evidence based or unseen background we would like propose further step to mobilize community for action.

With the background of organizing change makers and alliances at community level and performing different activities those creates enabling environment to end violence against women by March 2009 RUPANTAR now intends transform change makers capacity and alliance strength as social mobilization to end violence against women culturally.

Context analysis and major causes of violence against women: 

From very inception of this initiative RUPANTAR is very much clear about context and reality that without involving community or each and everybody of the society impossible to prevent violence against women, especially the domestic violence. Social movement and social initiatives by creating culture of peace have been more successful than the practice of prevailing law, as is seen in many instances and in many fields of eradicating serious social problems. So, it is imperative to strengthen the concerned people and the social organizations through various activities. On the other hand, the civil society and other agencies engaged in the prevention of violence against women should be brought under one umbrella through different activities so as to go for united strength to combat the situation towards establishing male–female equality and prevention of domestic violence against women. The activities will eventually lead the people and the socio-cultural organizations to establish a society of gender equality, free from domestic violence and also will lead towards establishing an administration and state with due implementation of law and respect for law.

Project Goal : 

The women live in social harmony being reduce domestic violence through social initiatives and community support 

Project Objective: 

• To raise mass awareness utilizing individual Change Makers (CM) and alliances at grassroots to district level that helps enhancing visible changes in social attitude and behaviour
• To re-engage and activate the CM members for active participation in different activities for WE CAN Campaign and stand against DV at the community level 
• To enhance capacity of local, regional level alliance groups for their active support to end DV.
• To disseminate message of We Can campaign to 2.5 million people  
• To identify 50,000 primary change makers  
• To form change makers WE CAN Alliance at 10 Ward & 6 Upazilla in new aria.

Project Activities:

• Peoples Mobilization  
• Assembly in upozila leve lon international women day 
• Union level assembally on World Rural Women day-Rally&discurtion meeting
• Violence Against Women Protest Day implementation in Upazilla level-25 November,
• Durga Puja Festival- (Student CMF & Alliance & CM are implemented)
• ReligiousFestival- (Darga fair, ruddra fair, chandfai fair, boyshakhi mela, sadhu sammelan, dol purnima mela, sanitation fair, nari dibosh mela, khulna dibosh mela, knowledge fair,Union mela, sultan mela) 
• Campaign with State Program (International Disable Day)- 3 District
• Campaign with state program (World Health Day)-2 district
• CM  assembally at  international Volantiars day in uioon level 
• Child Festeble  -100 chield
• Bus campain with canvasser
• CM  assembally at  Divitional level.( This cost will be beared by Oxfam )
• Cultural event & Display 
•  Change maker reangage 
•  Focal CM orientation,   
• Van rally & Door to door campaign with message (CM & alliance are implemented), 
• Building House wife committee & bi-monthly meeting at union level. 
• Post card campaign
• Debate for civil society & CM male -female at upozila level. 
• Capacity building, Alliance Building & Networking 
• Seminar with new stakeholder in new area (Jessore). 
• Couple orientation (40 group, Quarterly meeting & orientation)
• Incorporating  this issue with Youth through training. 
• Incorporating  this issue with Ansar VDP. 100 persons 
• Districts  alliance meetting on oganizational capacity  building (such as how to run a community based social initiative using local resources, effective networking etc) in district leve, quarterly, 
• Upazila Alliance meetting  on event management and creating social impact through campaign , half yearly, 40 persons 
• Experiential learning on the issue and exchange visits among alliances. 
• Meeting with "Teachers asociation'Foods & snacks 
• Production Based Workshop 
• Monthly meeting with cultural team:
• Meeting with central bus owners & staff association. 50 persons 
•  Institulization 
• School campaign (Student cmf & Alliance are implemented), 200 students 
• School level students, teachers & SMC orientation, 60 persons 
• Student forum building & regular meeting (40 Foram)
• Debate competition for the student . 100 
•  Advocacy & Responsive work 
• Human and Women rights violation protest CM & alliance at districts, upazilla and community level. 100 persons 
• Survival Cooperation for case file and legal aid support  .
• Capacity building & Mainstreaming
• Coordination meeting for Donor, Staff, Amp, & Rupantar senior management
• Monthly staff coordination meeting 
• Staff orientation (Project, Roles & Responsibilities- 2 orientation
• Quarterly Partner alliance organizations coordination meeting. 
•  Learning season: 8 area office of Rupantar 
•  -   Staff development training for HRD 
•  -  Monthly meeting for Mothers club 
•  -   Monthly meeting for Women Union Coordination committee 
•  -   Main streaming of Rupantar 
•  Program Monitoring & Learning & Documentation 
• Reflective Dialoge. 15 person 
• Field visit with Rupantar sinior menegment team,  5 visit in 5 District 
•  Partners NGO's field programe and finance visit by Rupantar M&E and Internal Audit dept.  
•  Field Visit with Network partner ED (3 Person) 
•  Project Co-ordinator 40 visit in 6 District .

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