Girls Power Project

Youth Defence Bangladesh & Girls Power Project organized demonstration events including youth gathering, dance and dialogue on 17 September 2015 at the Dhaka south city corporation areas in Cooperation and partnership with Alert Fund, Aparajeyo- Bangladesh (AB), BCHRD, Rainbow, Polliama, and youth community in Dhaka City Corporation. Demonstration events willbe organized at Dhaka to end gender based violence at Dolpur Community Centre under the Dhaka City Corporation. Youth leader, Organizer of Girls Power Project and Chief Executive of Youth Defence Bangladesh Mr. Mahmudul Hassan Kajol conducted the session. Youth Leader of Mr. Mahabub Alam Chaired in the events as chief speaker, Community Youth Leader of Mr.Muktar Hossain, Moni Bala youth Leader, Nilufa Yeasmin, Jorna Akter, Shipli Akter, Anu Rani Das given their statement. More than 300 Girls and youth women participated in the events. The main goal of the event is to reduce the gender based violence against Indigenous Girls and youth Women. We organized demonstration program demanding stop gender based violence against Indigenous girls and youth women and also demanding justice for the survivors of Girls and youth women in Bangladesh. The program used the organization name and logo on the banner and key note under the girl’s power project and survivors help line number 1098 disclosed in the events which is toll free number only for rescuing of survivors of children’s, girls and youth women. Community youth participation, youth networking, linkage with youth leader, membership with youth of BCHRD, and youth gender sensitization were considered in the implementation process. Indigenous youth leader and organizer youth leader of Youth Defence Bangladesh (YDB) and Girls Power project (GPP) Ms. Moni Bala shared her statement regarding the violence situation against indigenous/ethnic women in Bangladesh. She said through his statement and project concept that gender Based Violence is increasing in an alarming rate including rape, forceful conversion into religion, killing after raped, sexual harassment, kidnapping and suppression to indigenous women have increased in Chittagong Hill Tracts and plain lands. Despite the government's pledge to adopt a zero tolerance for violence against ethnic women, girls and children, there has not been significant progress in the ground realities. We are vulnerable because of prejudice in the administration. The violence includes rape, abduction and murder. Recently a Garo youth woman was raped in Dhaka city and nobody come to help her. The recent plight of a Garo woman having to go from one police station to another to file her case of being gang-raped is an example of how state agencies show bias in the way they treat victims from these communities. We know about the unresolved case of Kalpana Chakma who was abducted 19 years ago from the CHT region is an indication of how far back this discrimination can be traced to and this was a serious human rights violation. Youth leader Mr. Mahbub Alam said about the youth repression in Bangladesh especially minority groups. Torture, abduction and rape, rape after killing and forcefully conversion into others religion is increasing in Bangladesh especially against youth minority groups. We have to raise voice for the voiceless groups and it will be more and more. We have to reach every house of youth groups. I thanks to organizer of the Youth Defence Bangladesh, they are playing a vital role to reduce the gender based against indigenous youth groups in Bangladesh. I strongly recommended that this type of events will be organized in every Conner of Bangladesh to raise mass awareness. Organizer Mr. Kajol share the concept of indigenous women are passing insecure life in Bangladesh. Whole indigenous societies are worried about violence against indigenous young women and girls. Most of the time the local administration did not conduct an accurate fact finding, investigation and sometimes they delayed to arrest perpetrators in connection with violence against indigenous women. The government does not proper work to take immediate action to prevent violence against indigenous women. Lack of proper fact finding and investigation, complex and long justice system, lack of legal aid support, insecurity of victims’ family, culture of impunity to the perpetrators etc. are the main causes of increasing violence against indigenous women and girls. Indigenous women are mistreated when they went their work place, school or college and even when they stayed at home. He demanded the local government and respected authority from the events to conduct the fact findings and investigation regarding the matters and to ensure the justice, good governance and human rights for the youth groups who are violated. The events ended through a youth dance with colorful and participants enjoyed the events.

Achievements and Findings of Events:

Participation of speech, banner, demonstration including youth gathering and dance in the event spot of youth groups increased the mental force of them and their family members.
Girls Power Project and its support & partners reached into target groups through the events massage to aware for the target groups and their family members.
More than 300 youth participated in the events and they established unity and fellow good feelings through the events. Participants are committed to share the events awareness with their family members and friends about the events and their rights and also they will involve others youth with the youth defence movement in Bangladesh.
They have been feeling mentally powerfully at this attendance of youth participants in the events and they empowered by the events.
They have been thinking themselves dignified to know their rights about the events.
The oppressed family members do not think themselves alone. They think that there have so many persons or NGO, INGO with them.
They also think that their social dignity has also been increased.
May find a trace of new victims and any family member may be an expert caregiver.

Project Issues: There are many ways to analyse project issues, here are some suggested ways; There were the top ten issues like important of Indigenous/ethnic identity, dignity, lack of right to participate, lack of right to freedom of expression and opinion, lack of right to freedom of assembly and association, lack of right to take part in government, lack of right to human rights education, lack of rights to equality (opportunities, services, pay), lack of rights to self assertion (dignity, identity, religion, caste, and so forth), lack of right to integrity (protection, justice) and right to services (education, health, facilities). And their impact was raised awareness amongst all levels of society and to promote the rights of indigenous/ethnic in society. The focus was thus not only on raising awareness and encouraging civil society, youth and government official participation but also focusing on long-term and sustainable outcomes with a positive impact.

Right to freedom of expression and opinion, Right to integrity (protection, justice) issues of project suffered the most issues. Youth Right is not secured by the Government. In Bangladesh recently youth was tortured by the political parties. Citizen rights, important of youth women issues are opened. Minorities and marginalized groups youth women are always misused by the state and political parties.

Recommendation: Finally, summarise your findings in a table and place a copy in the executive summary section at the start of this document.

The demonstration programs should be continued to ensure justice, good governance and human rights and finally sustainable empowerment of youth in Bangladesh.
Horizontal learning process (good practice) will be introduced among others areas and others youth in Bangladesh.
The demonstration program will be organized on 25 November 2015 to 10 December 2015 regarding the issue of UN International day events clebration,
Involvement of Local Government Institute (by increasing the budget) can make the assignment more result worthy and resourceful

Measurements: Some of notable achievement of events done by the event, in terms of mobilizing marginalized youth women, Youth Community Leaders, Youth Religious leaders, Youth leaders, Youths Defenders. There would be ensured youth people. Demonstration program organized among more than 300 youth of different professionals including target groups in target areas which are to create public opinion and also they said that their social dignity has also been increased. There engaged Youth, University Activation, Mobilizing youth workers, Massage dissemination through awareness rising, partners NGO and Community Participation. The achievement is measured by the statement of youth attendance and open discussion about the events.

Follow Up Activities: The Girls Power Project would like to organize some follow up activities on 11 October to 31 December 2015 demanding justice good governance and human rights for youth.