PSPD in English Archive 2002-01-31   1919

Naripokkho (Women Activists Group in Bangladesh)

Naripokkho (Women Activists Group in Bangladesh) 

A leading women activists group in Bangladesh 

 

1. BACKGROUND 

Naripokkho is a membership-based women`s activist organisation founded in 1983, working for the advancement of women`s rights and entitlements and building resistance against violence, discrimination and injustice. Naripokkho`s activities include advocacy campaigns, research, discussions, cultural events, and lobbying on issues of gender justice. Naripokkho`s work can be clustered under the following four themes: 

◆ Violence against women and human rights 

◆ Reproductive rights and women`s health 

◆ Gender issues in environment and development 

◆ Representation of women in media and cultural politics. 

The organisation is supported by its membership, which represents a wide variety of skills and expertise in different disciplines, through their voluntary contributions of professional time and funds. The use of members` professional time enables Naripokkho to take on earning activities such as research consultancies and gender analysis training as well as grant funded projects. Naripokkho has extensive experience in conducting workshops, seminars, training and national level conferences. 


2. STAFF, MEMBERS AND ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE 

2.1. Presently, Naripokkho has 107 members and 59 paid full time staff of whom 12 are also members of the organisation. All the other members provide their time, labour and expertise on a voluntary basis.

2.2. Naripokkho is based in Dhaka and does not have any branches, although it has members in different parts of the country (63 in Dhaka, 18 in Jessore, 3 in Noakhali, 8 in Rajshahi, 8 in Shibaloy-Manikganj, and 7 who are residing abroad). 

2.3. Naripokkho is governed by an elected Executive Committee composed of a total of 11 members. Besides the immediate past Convenor who is an ex officio member, the rest are elected to represent different categories; at least 4 from the previous committee of whom 1 must be from outside Dhaka, and of the remaining 6 at least 3 who have never served on the Executive Committee and of whom at least 1 must be from outside Dhaka. The Executive Committee elects a Convenor from among them to act as the Executive Head of the organisation for the duration of its term, two years. The Convenor cannot serve more than one term. The Executive Committee meet four times a year and appoints a Central Coordination Committee that meets twice a month to coordinate different activities and programmes on a regular basis. Staff cannot serve in these committees. 

2.4. Projects are coordinated by Naripokkho members on a full time paid or unpaid basis and are guided by a Working Group composed of 3-7 members. A Projects Steering Committee composed of the Convenor, Project Coordinators, a member from each Project Working Group and two members from the Executive Committee of whom one shall be from outside Dhaka, and two general members is set up to oversee all project implementation. 

 

3. ACTIVITIES 

Being an activist organisation, most of Naripokkho`s activities are driven by issue-based campaigns and struggles, at the national level as well as at the grass roots level. Members meet every Tuesday in a discussion forum with usuallyan open agenda. These meetings form the kernel of Naripokkho`s activism and provide the space for analysis of issues and events and formulating programmes and activities. 

 

Naripokkho plays a leading and often catalytic role in bringing human rights and women`s issues to public attention. In 1988 Naripokkho led the movement against the introduction of Islam as the state religion and launched a number of protest activities around issues of equal citizenship and secularism. This remains an ongoing concern for the organisation. 

 

Since 1991, Naripokkho has convened the International Women`s Day Committee in collaboration with a number of women`s organisations and development NGOs working with women`s issues. The Committee carries out different programmes in different parts of the country to celebrate the occasion based on a particular theme selected each year. Since 1998, Naripokkho has convened Shonghoti, a platform in support of the human rights of sex workers. 

 

Naripokkho has also initiated a national network of women`s organisations. A total of 450 local level women`s organisations from all over the country are part of this network which has decided to work on issues of violence against women and women`s political empowerment.

 

In addition, Naripokkho has carried out and is currently carrying out the following work on VAW, state Accountability, and Women’s Rights. 


1. Monitoring State Interventions to Combat Violence Against Women 

The project monitors the incidence of violence against women in the country through regular scanning of several newspapers, regular collection of nation-wide information of cases reported in police stations from the Police Headquarters, and reports from members of Naripokkho’s networks. Twenty-two police stations in Dhaka city, 2 public hospitals, and the Special Court are monitored regularly on handling of cases of violence against women. Partner organisations in small towns in Bangladesh are being trained and provided with technical assistance to carry out similar monitoring at the district level. Findings are regularly shared in workshops with police, health care personnel, lawyers and public prosecutors. This project is supported by grants from The Asia Foundation and Oxfam, GB. 


2. Study on Domestic Violence Against Women 

In collaboration with the International Center for Diarrhoeal Diseases Research, Bangladesh’s Behavioural Sciences Division, a national study on “Women’s Health and Life Experiences” has been undertaken. This is part of a multi-country study initiative of the World Health Organisation and is supported by a grant from the Asian Development Bank. This study is a follow up to a two year Pilot Study on Violence Against Women in Bangladesh undertaken by Naripokkho during 1996-1999. 

 

3. Person Centred Counseling for Women Survivors of Domestic Violence 

In conjunction with the above study, Naripokkho has undertaken a project to introduce a person-centred counseling approach for survivors of VAW. The project is being implemented in collaboration with the Department of Psychology, University of Dhaka. This project is supported by a grant from the Department for International Development, UK. 

 

4. National Network of Women’s Organisations 

Naripokkho has initiated a process to build an autonomous national platform of local level women’s organisations on violence against women and women’s political empowerment. Naripokkho is currently networking with 439 organisations in developing both the conceptual aspects of working on violence against women and political empowerment, as well as the institutional aspects of building a national network. This project is supported by a grant co-financed by Canada, Denmark. and Norway. 

 

5. Campaign Against Maternal Mortality 

Naripokkho has carried out a special commemorative programme on maternal mortality in 38 districts in the country to highlight the tragedy of maternal mortality in Bangladesh and draw the attention of local level stakeholders to the issues that contribute to the high incidence of maternal deaths. This has been done with the support of UNICEF’s Safe Motherhood Initiative. 


6. Gender, Citizenship and Governance 

Naripokkho is currently carrying out an action research project in collaboration with the Royal Tropical Institute, Holland, on the issue of Women’s Guardianship Rights and on Building Accountability of Local Health Authorities and Health Service Providers to Women. 

 

Accountability to Women on Issues of Reproductive Health and Development by the Government of Bangladesh on the Basis of the Program of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. 

 

This project was set up to initiate a process of accountability by the Government of Bangladesh to women on reproductive health services as per the government’s commitments under the ICPD. 


7. Critique of VAW Legislation 

Naripokkho has prepared a critique and comparative analysis of the VAW legislation in Bangladesh. There are two publications on this, one prepared in 1998 and another in 2001. 

 

8. Support for Acid Survivors 

Naripokkho has been working with acid survivors since 1995. Naripokkho has organised workshops with survivors of acid attacks and facilitated the visibility of this issue while giving voice to the girl and women survivors. Naripokkho’s advocacy on the problem of acid violence in Bangladesh has resulted in a number of civil society and international initiatives to support acid survivors. This includes the creation of the UNICEF Bangladesh initiatives to establish the Acid Survivors Foundation and cooperation with international NGOs to facilitate treatment and re-constructive surgery for acid survivors. Naripokkho is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Acid Survivors Foundation. Naripokkho members do the support work with acid survivors on a voluntary basis. 

 

9. Gender and Judges 

A pilot study on judicial attitudes towards complainants of violence against women was conducted in 1998. The study focused primarily on criminal offences such as rape, acid attack, murder, and kidnapping. The one civil issue is that of maintenance. 

 

Naripokkho is also engaged in awareness and support work on Breast Cancer, Tobacco Harm, Legal Acid legislation, Rights of Patients in Health Care Facilities, etc., as well as working on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

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