Brac to take initiatives to empower oppressed, deprived women

Brac, a development organization, is planning to take up programmes to help raise the voices of oppressed and deprived women through awareness at the grassroots level with an aim to establish their rights. 

 

This was disclosed at a workshop titled 'Annual Progress and Experience Sharing' at a hotel in Cox’s Bazar district town on Monday.

Jointly supported by Australian Aid and Brac, five partner NGOs of Brac arranged the event for formulating future plan of action and recommendation in this regard.

The five partner NGOs of Brac, which will also play their due role in this regard, are: Society for Health Extension and Development (SHED), Programme for Helpless And Lagged Societies (PHALS), Alliance for Cooperation and Legal Aid Bangladesh (ACLAB), Jago Nari Unnayan Sangstha (JNUS), and NONGOR.  

Md Nasim Ahmed, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development and Human Resources) of Cox’s Bazar, attended as the chief guest.

Among others, Md Abdul Matin Sarder, Head of Host Community Programme under the Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) of Brac; Didarul Alam Rashed, Executive Director of NONGOR; Tariqul Islam, Executive Director of ACLAB; and Sheuli Sharma, Executive Director of JNUS spoke.

Abu Murshed Chowdhury, Executive Director of PHALS, moderated the event.

Speaking as the chief guest, Nasim Ahmed said the issue of rights and dignity of deprived people is more important along with their development.
 
He stressed on ensuring social inclusion and building a knowledge-based society.   
 
In his address, Md Abdul Matin Sarder called upon NGOs to come up with innovative ideas by keeping up with changing situation.

Narrating her ordeal at the event, Sajeda Begum, who was tortured by her husband, is now planning to mould public opinion for raising awareness on women rights, including early marriage, as a local woman representative.  

 

Sajeda hailing from Harinmara Bagan Pahar village of Raja Palong union in Ukhiya upazila of Cox’s Bazar district, will now act as icon of conscious women to raise awareness in the society.

 
Brac is going to take steps so that awareness on the rights of women is created through dissemination of voices of oppressed women like Sajeda in the society, said the participants.       

On behalf of Brac, it was recommended to strengthen the capacities of partner NGOs for maintaining quality service delivery.

 
Brac’s HCMP works with special emphasis on social cohesion of host communities, improvement of living standards of persons with disabilities and women's rights.

MUS