STRENGTHENING GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE (GBV)

PREVENTION AND LIFESAVING RESPONSES FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS

THROUGH AN INTEGRATED GBV GBV/SRHR APPROACH
Background
Bangladesh, prone to natural hazards and disasters, is yearly exposed to cyclones in April-May
and October-December, as well as floods during the monsoon season from June to September,
when heavy rains further generate flashfloods, waterlogging and landslides and riverbank
erosion.

The project aims to provide life-saving comprehensive GBV services to women and adolescent
girls of the host community beneficiaries from disaster prone districts in southern (Khulna and
Satkhira) and northern (Kurigram and Jamalpur) with a strong integration of SRHR and
MHPSS components.

In UNFPA supported 8 WFSs, ActionAid Bangladesh has been providing basic mental health
and psychosocial support services including PFA, PSS and case management and referral
services as well as the SRH-GBV integration services to women and girls of GBV survivors
with the support of five local partners. Moreover, addressing harmful social norms to prevent and
respond to GBV in a safe and timely manner through WFSs by dialogues with women and girls
and through engaging men and boys in accountable practices has been one of the major
prevention activities.

In addition, ActionAid Bangladesh has been strengthening the capacity of four networks in
Barguna, Noakhali, Khulna and Gaibandha to prevent violence against women, girls, and other
intersectional identities especially during emergency.

Implementing Areas

Jamalpur
Kurigram
Shatkhira
Khulna
Noakhali
Barguna
Gaibandha
WFS
Networking
Key Achievements

Women and girls accessed quality mental health, psychosocial

support and lifesaving health care services focused on healing,
empowerment, and recovery.

10,211Women 2,252 Pregnant mothers 3,181 Girls

Including
Total
15,644
Total 15,644 number of women, adolescent girls, and pregnant women
accessed to 8 WFSs and received PFA,PSS, GBVcase management and
midwifery services and multisectoral referral services.

6458 1828 766

Psychosocial First Aid Psychosocial Support Coordinated Care
(PFA) Services (PSS) to GBV Survivors

5,432 Women 1,727Girls 2,123 Pregnant Mother Total

9,282

Total 9,282 number of women and girls including GBV

survivors accessed quality, life-saving healthcare services in 8 WFSs.
Key Achievements

Referral systems are in place to connect women, girls, and other

at-risk groups to appropriate multi-sector GBV prevention and
response services in a timely and safe manner.

1,903 Women 375 Girls 1,093 Pregnant Mother Total

3,371
Total of 3,371 women, girls and pregnant women were referred to access
GBV related multisectoral referral services (i.e., health, legal, police etc.) from 8 WFSs.

Suraiya Siddiqa, DWA (Department of

Women Affairs) Officer said,
Total 836 GBV survivors of women and
girls were referred to access GBV We are gradually receiving more GBV
related multisectoral referral services survivors from Women Friendly Space than
(i.e., health, legal, police etc.) from 8 before. We have provided support to the GBV
WFSs. survivors instantly with a high priority, also we
keep regular follow up.

Rubina Khatun from Women Help Desk of

Dakop, Khulna said,

The survivors who are referred from women Total 2,535 women, girls and pregnant
friendly space, we give the highest priority to women were referred to access
ensure support for them. I appreciated how life-saving healthcare referral services
the referral pathway training strengthened from 8 WFSs.
the coordination among the survivors and the
service providers.
Key Achievements

Emergency GBV prevention activity through community outreach

in disaster prone areas to promote positive social and gender
norms to address GBV

17,118 2,179
Total 19,297 women and girls became aware of
GBV service availability, psychosocial counselling,
vulnerabilities of women in disaster and its
prevention, gender-based violence, child marriage,
survivor centered approach, referral pathway and
SRH information through 639 community outreach
sessions.

Mohammad Abdur Rahim, a general community member said,

I became aware of about the importance of GBV services from the community outreach
activities. I came to know how I should take care of my wife during pregnancy. Also, I
came to know about the rights of women and the necessity of ensuring the rights for a
safer community.

7,173 2,189
Total 9362 men and boys became aware of
negative social norms, Gender based violence and
the importance of availing GBV services, available
GBV services, child marriage 306 community
outreach sessions.
Key Achievements

Trainings and local capacity building of frontline actors to prevent,

mitigate and respond to GBV in emergencies.

AAB trained total of 208 front line GBV and Non-GBV actors including local NGO actors,
representatives from the Department of Women Affairs, Department of Social Service,
representatives of Government Standing Committees, representatives of women led
organizations on the following topics to act as the first responders for the GBV survivors.

Basic concepts of prevention and

response to GBV

Gender Based Violence during

emergency

GBV Guiding Principles

Survivor Centered Approach and

do no harm policy

160 11 37 24 lifesaving integrated

Local NGO Government GBV WLO SRH/GBV intervention
Actors Actors Actors
Case Management and PSS/PFA
Advocate Mominul Islam from Safe Referral Services
Bangladesh Human Rights
Commission from Khulna said, Safeguarding and PSEA
“I have attended training on
referral pathway and Gender
Based Violence. I came to
know about GBV services and
the necessity of prioritizing
providing life saving supports
to the GBV survivors. Also, I
got opportunity to discuss
about legal services to other 117 91
participants. I appreciate the
initiative of UNFPA, ActionAid Total
Bangladesh and Jagrata Juba
Shangha. 208
Key Achievements

Culturally relevant dignity kits are distributed to affected

populations to reduce vulnerability and connect women, girls and
other intersectional identities to information and support services.

7,614 to cyclone 17,530 dignity kits have been distributed in

9,916 to flood
affected people five districts of Bangladesh during emergencies
affected people
in 2020 and 2021

230 were from transgender

community, and 50 of them were
acid survivors

7,744 dignity kits were

distributed to flood
2,172 to flood affected
affected people in
people in Gaibandha
Jamalpur and Kurigram
in 2021.
in 2020.

7,614 to Amphan
affected people in
Shatkhira and Barguna
in 2020.
Key Achievements

Campaign to celebrate the International Women’s Day and to

observe Sixteen Days of Activism to promote positive social and
gender norms to address GBV.

Inter-generation dialogue Women Chit chat at WFS

Football match Women Fair

Cycle rally Human chain

Radio programme School Debate

Drama Street Dialogue

Health campaign

41 campaign events
organized

300k women, girls, men and boys

were reached in six districts
Safety Audit
AAB conducted 16 safety audits in Jamalpur, Shatkhira, Kurigram
and Khulna to identify potential GBV risks and risk mitigation
measures to create a safer community and home environment for
women and girls in disaster prone areas especially in the coastal
areas and flood prone areas of Bangladesh.

This safety audit was conducted by interviewing

Female community members GBV services providers Union Parishad Members

Adolescent girls (12-18 years old) School and College Teachers Community clinic Doc/Nurse/ Worker

Women and Girls with Disability Department of Social Service Upazila Family Planning Officer
(DSS) Govt Officer

Key Findings:

Unavailability of trained women health service providers including police and security focal to the women and girls GBV survivors in
cyclone centers and other shelters

Ineffective services of community clinics.

Survivors of GBV (especially the survivors of Intimate Partner Violence) reports and seek support to Union Parishad and Government
Standing Committees. However, the UP members and standing committees are not trained enough to provide support to the GBV
survivors. Also, mediation without proper training and understanding on GBV intensifies the probability of risk of further GBV incidents.

Women leadership is strongly absent in local government following with heightened risk of GBV.
Absence of powerful women led organizations with policies and technical skills on social development.

Male dominance in families and institution with intensified risk of GBV.

Prevalence of child marriage is alarmingly high in all the locations.

Lack of streetlights with a heightened risk of GBV.

Heightened risk of cybercrime.

Unavailability of safe and confidential spaces to seek mental health services. The study shows that adolescents and women and girls
with disabilities are at the heightened risks due to service availability.

Inaccessibility due to network connectivity and lack of resource as well as information gaps regarding hotline numbers for GBV
services.

Unavailability of drinking water in coastal regions with lack of knowledge and spaces regarding menstrual hygiene.

Distant water points, unavailability of separate washrooms in shelters, absence of inclusive services for women, girls, transgender
communities and person with disabilities with a heightened risk of GBV.

Absence of shelter management committees in the flood prone areas and coastal regions. Limited response of shelter management
committees in some areas especially in Noakhali.

Internally displaced people due to river erosion with a heightened risk of GBV at Noakhali.
Recommendation
Capacity building on inclusive referral pathway, MHPSS, case management, disability inclusion and
increased coordination among government stakeholders, GBV and Non-GBV actors, local NGOs and
women led organizations.

Reviving the shelter management committees and capacity building and advocacy on inclusive
shelter management and DRR.

Capacity building and coordination between GBV service providers and Government Standing
Committees.

Capacity building on gender responsive and gender transformative programming with local UP
members and women leaders.

Introducing women leadership in the community level to strengthen advocacy with the government.

Advocacy with the government for safe spaces in the sub district level for women and girls.

Advocacy for OCC in Noakhali based on the need and heightened GBV trend in the recent years.

Advocacy for inclusive shelter management system in Bangladesh.

Introducing inclusive referral pathway in the national level as well as district and sub district level.

Mass awareness on male engagement as they are still the decision maker in both individual and
institutional level.

Strengthening local networks to prevent online violence against women and girls.

Introducing MHPSS hotline service as well as mass awareness on MHPSS service availability in the
grassroot level.

Advocacy to strengthen the service provision of community clinics and integration of MHPSS service
in the community clinics.