Women’s and children’s safety are secondary to the safety and honor of the perpetrators. The most important negative force encouraging/enhancing violence against women is the prevailing belief of considering violence as a ‘family matter’, not as a crime. But if we consider each case of violence, we will find that the violence in the family circle is also a crime in general.
In the family circle, women are not considered as individual human beings; they are considered as someone’s mother, someone’s daughter or wife. There are extra burdens and bindings of responsibilities and nevertheless, they are considered as the sole bearer of morals.
The result of the failure to recognize the rights of women is that we are installing right insensitive programs where women are treated as objects and on ‘charity’ of this male-dominated society. So, the services we provide couldn’t fulfill a woman’s requirements holistically, and impact is being inferred from her to the future generation.
Background
“Community Mobilization to Protest Domestic Violence (CMCMPDV)”- is a 5 years project proposal of NGO has been formulated through a participatory process involving the grassroots level stakeholder groups, staff members of Organization expected to implement the project for the duration of 5 years.
The non-government voluntary organization (NGO) has been working for the rural poor and disadvantaged people in XXXXXXX that established in XXXX. The organization realized that proper education, massive awareness, social mobilization and women empowerment are very prior to bring positive changes in our society. Considering the situation that, generally, women and children are extremely victimized in many ways and forms and they are the victims of dual exploitation both by poverty and gender discrimination.
Rich & influential people always take chances to exploit women physically, mentally and economically by giving low wages as maidservant. At the family level women are fully denied from their rights what a human being entitled. The literacy rate of is also very poor; especially women in remote and tribal areas belonged illiterate. Women and girls are the victims of early marriage, polygamy, divorces, dowry, rapping and many other kinds of physical torture as well as domestic violence due to economic deprivation along with influence of religious bound and prejudice of the society.
The organization realized that establishment of gender equity; human rights especially for the women and children are so required for a developed society where people will leave peace and tranquility. It optimistically believes that the present situation regarding the maltreatment of rights, unequal distribution and viewpoint must be faked away if we are undertaking such type of timely and appropriate measurement.
Domestic violence is a widespread problem in Bangladesh. Actual extent is difficult to measure. Researchers believe that the extent of violence between intimate partners is higher than reports indicate. Data based on official documents, such as police or hospital records, tend to underestimate the extent of violence because many instances of abuse are never reported. Surveys of individuals generally produce higher estimates of violence than official records, but they are also assumed to underestimate the actual extent of domestic violence.
For a variety of reasons, respondents may fail to report violence that occurs with an intimate partner. In male dominated society in XXXXX, the expression from wives’ group: It’s unbearable for human; husbands beat them whenever they will, wherever they want to; while a husband beats his wife, other inmates seem to enjoy, sometimes they even incite the husband to assault”.
Women and children’s safety are secondary to the safety and honor of the perpetrators. Most important negative force encouraging/enhancing the violence against women is the prevailing belief of considering the violence as a ‘family mater’, not as a crime. But if we consider each case of violence, we will find that the violence in the family circle is also a crime in general. In the family circle, women are not considered as individual human being, they are considered as someone’s mother, someone’s daughter or wife.
There are extra burdens and bindings of responsibilities and nevertheless they are considered as sole bearer of moral. The result of the failure to recognize the rights of the women is that we are installing right insensitive programs where women are treated as objects and on ‘charity’ of this male dominated society. So, the services, we are providing couldn’t fulfill the requirements of a woman holistically and impact is being inferred from her to the future generation.
Under such circumstances, the non-government organization (NGO) wanted to come close to the poor people with particular emphasis to end domestic violence at their family and society level. The proposed project is proposed to implement with an aim to eradicate domestic violence. Our expected achievements are
- Communities has break out the silence of domestic violence
- Domestic violence has been recognized as criminal offence
- Communities has been seeking alternative ways to protest domestic violence
- Domestic violence issue has been raised at family, society and organization level
- Incidence of early marriage, dowry and domestic violence reduced
- Positive gender relation prevailed in the community
The project will be implemented in 9 areas including 8 unions and a municipality under Gobindagonj Upazila of Gaibandha district. The targeted 8 unions are fully rural areas where the rate of early marriage, polygamy, dowry, suicide and divorce is very high than others unions of this Upazila. Besides, those unions are also flood prone areas. Moreover, a large part of the total population on those unions is very poor. The project will directly cover 65320 people including male, female, children and community people.
The project has designed as a campaign program along with project related regular supportive activities that will be implemented though round the project duration. A total of 15 campaigns along with massive awareness and socialization process related activities will be implemented within the project duration. Almost in particular time after each four months campaign will be held in a particular place and the duration of each campaign program will be held within 3-10 days in this way the project will end through extended and highlighted campaign program.
The total program has designed on cultural methods and message dissemination in order to make aware the targeted people about DV issues. The total staffs of the project are 30 persons including a project manager, a monitoring officer, an accountant and 9 field trainers will work independently for this project and 18 youth volunteers will work as social mobilizers for the effective implementation of the project.
Project Description
The organization has designed the project “Community Mobilization to Protest Domestic Violence” with the objective to reduce the rate of domestic violence from family to society level in its targeted areas under Gaibandha district during. Before taking the project the situation of women folk surrounding the targeted areas was very pitiable and dishonorable. Women had to face various types of physical, economical, mental and even illicit sensual tortures from their counterparts in family and society level. And male parts always wanted to dominate and dictate to their female part very strictly so that they could not able to refuse to go beyond from their capacity.
As a result, by the side of early marriage, dowry, polygamy, divorce, rape- domestic violence holds a significant place in the family and society level. Most of the people including women and men take the issues of domestic violence as completely private and they could not allow to interference by others.
To change the traditional ideas and beliefs, organization has taken the project “Community Mobilization to Protest Domestic Violence” as a respected challenge by the cordial assistance of Oxfam-GB.
After every four months of the year, organization has adopted Campaign program to protest domestic violence as well as to raise the issue of domestic violence as a criminal offence from family and society level.
Objectives
- To raise the DV issues at the family and society level and recognize domestic violence as criminal offence
- To create massive awareness about domestic violence and girl’s education through socialization and advocacy
- To create an enabling situation for women and girls so that they will be able to participate in the family and society level decision making process
- To reduce of incidence of domestic violence, dowry, early marriage, suicide in a satisfactory level
- To bring more positive gender relationship
Expected Result
- Most of the people including men and women well-introduced with the issue of CMCMPDV
- Most of united groups has taken the issue significantly and achieved recognition among the community
- Many others stakeholders even GOB officials have discussed over the issue
- Potential and committed persons has identified from the united groups
- Others professional of the targeted community has become curious over the matter
- Change Maker Group established
- Human resource team with the group and organization established
- Positive attitude created among community people along with UP representatives
- Legal aid support availed
Target Beneficiaries
- CMPDV is a family approach project where all family members would be benefited, however strengthening women skills are the main target of the project. The entire community of the working areas (approximately 32,000 persons) will be benefited through this project to bring out positive changes in their domestic atmospheres. The project will be emphasized to cover the underprivileged households along with civil society in the project circle.
Primary stakeholders will be:
8100 women, which include 270 women leaders from 8100 families
The secondary stakeholder will be:
- 8100 spouses of selected families will the included in 270 Spouse Forum
- 16200 children will be included 540 sabuj Forum will be formed
- 45000 households including male, female and children will be benefited by the project
- 2500 social leaders and different professionals (school teacher, imam, kazi), Gram Sarker, Union Parishad and its standing committee, different Government line departments and its officials at Upazila and District level (Women and Children Affairs, Police, Social Service etc.), NGOs, CBOs working in the area, legal aid committee, advocates and police department.
The organization will be work in most of the villages under each union covering all the population under those unions. In this respect organization will consider the socio-economic status and the incidents of DV. Besides, organization will give more attention to the poor and disaster-affected households in the targeted working areas. The total villages under those unions is 169 and in municipality the following communities will be directly involved into the project intervention. Details date information about our working areas are as follows:
Project Intervention
- The activities of the project will be implemented dividing two different clusters. The clusters are-
- CORE ACTIVITY
- CAMPAIGN ACTIVITY
Core Activity
- Staff Recruitment
- Staff Orientation
- Skill development of staff members
- Formation of Family Club (FC)
- Family Club Leader Selection
- Training to the FC members and Leaders
- Formation of Social Forum as change agent
- Formation of sabuj Forum for adolescent group
- Formation Protest Domestic Violence Committee (CMPDVC) at the union, municipality and upazila level
- Training and orientation to Social Forum, sabuj Forum and CMPDVC group members
- Regular meeting of FC, Social Forum, sabuj Forum and CMPDVC
- IEC materials delivery among the FC, Social Forum, Sabuj Forum and CMPDVC
- Formation of Central Cultural Group (CCG)
- Script development on DV issues for theatre and folk song presentation
- Billboards, street boards installation
- Rickshaw paintings, posters, stickers publication
- Monitoring and Supervision
- Reporting and preservation
Campaign Activity
Campaign program will be designed by series of cultural events including drama, folk song, video, jarigan presentation with DV messages. Students counselling, sports, debate competition, article writing competition will also be designed within the campaign program. Besides, under each campaign programs series of innovative and attractive activities will be measured under a total 15 CAMPAIGN program.
Project Management
Advisory Group:
Considering the sensitivity and nature of CMPDV project, an Advisory Group will be established to guide (not direct) project interventions. The advisory group will also be an instrument to enhance co-ordination among organizations working on violence in the Gaibandha area. The group consists of helpful community leaders/Advisors, committed societal leaders who believe for women advancement. Moreover, the advisory group will be an occasion to lobby for political support by the government institutions through existing networks. The advisory group will meet quarterly. It will review progress, discuss and advise and will support the project in times of difficulties.
- Family Club:
- 8100 households will be included into the family club mainstreaming and among them 270 FC will be formed.
- Spouse Forum:
- 8100 households will be included into the family club mainstreaming and among them 270
- Spouse Forum will be formed.
- Sobuj Forum:
- The project will be included 16200 children from which a total of 540 Sobuj Forum will be formed.
- Civil Society:
- 2500 social leaders and different professionals (school teacher, imam, kazi), Gram Sarker, Union Parishad and its standing committee, different Government line departments and its officials at Upazila and District level (Women and Children Affairs, Police, Social Service etc), NGOs, CBOs working in the area, legal aid committee, advocates and police department.
Project ORNOGRAM
The total staffs of the project are 30 persons including a project manager, a monitoring officer, an accountant and 9 field trainers will work independently for this project and 18 youth volunteers will work as social mobilizers for the effective implementation of the project. Besides, Executive Director and Project Director of organisation will also assist partially by giving some times for smooth management and implementation of this project.
