Bangladesh
Women and Girls Safe Spaces in Rohingya Camps
As the Rohingya Response of Bangladesh nears the two-year mark, the response has evolved from immediate emergency life-saving provisions to other supports (protection, health, nutrition etc). One aspect of this crisis is that majority are women and children (52% women & girls, 55% children under 18)(Rohingya Response Gender Analysis, Lulia, Mita et al, 2018) . Thus, responses specific to needs of women and girls are of crucial importance. At the heart of this are Women and Girls’ Safe Space (WGSS) locally called shantikhana (Center of Peace). As UNFPA defines:
“A safe space is a formal or informal place where women and girls feel physically and emotionally safe. The term ‘safe,’ in the present context, refers to the absence of trauma, excessive stress, violence (or fear of violence), or abuse. It is a space where women and girls, being the intended beneficiaries, feel comfortable and enjoy the freedom to express themselves without the fear of judgment or harm.”
CARE Bangladesh conducted an inter-agency study that analyzes collective experience of organizations serving survivors of GBV and other Rohingya women visiting WGSS to understand key successes, good practice, challenges and way-forward. Read More...
“A safe space is a formal or informal place where women and girls feel physically and emotionally safe. The term ‘safe,’ in the present context, refers to the absence of trauma, excessive stress, violence (or fear of violence), or abuse. It is a space where women and girls, being the intended beneficiaries, feel comfortable and enjoy the freedom to express themselves without the fear of judgment or harm.”
CARE Bangladesh conducted an inter-agency study that analyzes collective experience of organizations serving survivors of GBV and other Rohingya women visiting WGSS to understand key successes, good practice, challenges and way-forward. Read More...
Final Report On End Line Study of Promoting Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls in Clothing Industry Project
Employing more than 2.5 million women (60%), the RMG sector in Bangladesh is one of the largest sources of employment for women. CARE Bangladesh and UN Women partnered to undertake the Promoting Women Worker’s Empowerment Project as a 5 months pilot to help workers, particularly women, develop their skills and experience and access leadership opportunities which may lead to career advancement, improved work environment for the workers. The study was undertaken with several objectives- (i) To identify the progress on knowledge, skill and aspiration of women RMG workers in the working factories from the baseline (ii) To identify the initiatives that Management of the working factories are planning for career Advancement for women RMG workers (iii) To examine the appropriateness of the career pathways that was identified in baseline and identify the further recommendations for career Advancement for women RMG workers (iv) Evaluating the project indicators to measure the progress of the project (v) Developing a learning brief on the Project from baseline and end line . Read More...
Rapid Needs Assessment COVID-19 impacts on Urban Health in Bangladesh
Since the initial outbreak of COVID-19 in Bangladesh earlier this March, Bangladesh is at an economic and social standstill due to the government imposed nation-wide lockdown. Although every sector of the country is facing problems, the health sector is currently among the most affected sectors.
The Health Access and Linkage Opportunities for Workers Plus (HALOW+) is directly related to the health sector and is responsible for maintaining the overall health and safety of the people/areas under its intervention. To assess the current situation of the RMG workers of 17 factories and their respective communities under HALOW+ in this pandemic crisis, a small-scale survey study was conducted from 23rd-26th April, 2020. A total of 141 participants from both Community Support Groups (CSG), Urban Low income
people including RMG Workers, Ward Health Development Committee and GO – NGO Coordination Forum, District Managers of Public, Private and NGO health and Family Planning department, Public Health Specialist from UN bodies, INGO and Academic institutes and RMG Factory owner and senior management were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire. The study revealed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on the overall health system as a total of 322 health workers out of 516 in Gazipur are currently in home/institutional quarantine, telemedicine facilities have dropped to 80% and there’s a 50% reduction in total patient reported in Upazila Health Complexes (UHC)-reasons being absence of doctors and proper medical facilities. Read More...
The Health Access and Linkage Opportunities for Workers Plus (HALOW+) is directly related to the health sector and is responsible for maintaining the overall health and safety of the people/areas under its intervention. To assess the current situation of the RMG workers of 17 factories and their respective communities under HALOW+ in this pandemic crisis, a small-scale survey study was conducted from 23rd-26th April, 2020. A total of 141 participants from both Community Support Groups (CSG), Urban Low income
people including RMG Workers, Ward Health Development Committee and GO – NGO Coordination Forum, District Managers of Public, Private and NGO health and Family Planning department, Public Health Specialist from UN bodies, INGO and Academic institutes and RMG Factory owner and senior management were interviewed with a standardized questionnaire. The study revealed that COVID-19 had a significant impact on the overall health system as a total of 322 health workers out of 516 in Gazipur are currently in home/institutional quarantine, telemedicine facilities have dropped to 80% and there’s a 50% reduction in total patient reported in Upazila Health Complexes (UHC)-reasons being absence of doctors and proper medical facilities. Read More...
A Glimpse on Poor and Extreme Poor Pregnant and Lactating Women’s Situation in Sunamganj, amidst COVID-19
The global pandemic COVID19 outbreak has crippled the economy after the nationwide lockdown imposed by the Bangladesh government since the end of March 2020 and has thrown millions of its population into poverty and food insecurity. Sunamganj, district is highly susceptible to natural hazards such as heavy rain, storm, thunderstorm, flash flood, which severely affect their livelihood and food and nutrition security where the COVID19 crisis has speeded up the devastation of daily livelihood. While writing this report the total number of infected corona patients in Sunamganj was 1162 and nine died. To better understand how pregnant and lactating women in the poor and the extremely poor household of Sunamganj district, are experiencing and adapting during this COVID 19 crisis, Collective Impact for Nutrition (CI4N), CARE Bangladesh conducted a rapid mobile-based survey from May 14 to 23, 2020. This report represents unofficial survey findings to keep a finger on the pulse of the food and nutrition security situation in rural Bangladesh. Read More...
Adolescent Motherhood: Understanding Individual and Community Perspectives to Delay First Birth in Rural Bangladesh
Globally, more than one third of girls marry before the age of 15. In Bangladesh, like in other developing countries, adolescent marriage is still very common. Early marriage leads to early pregnancy, as young wives are not allowed to make their own decisions about contraceptive use and timing of childbirth, deferring instead to their husbands and extended family. The major objectives of this formative research were to explore the intentions, desires, perspectives, motivators, and de‐motivators around the first pregnancy among married adolescent girls (MAGs). The study also explored ways to delay first pregnancies among MAGs, focusing on influential people in their lives, health providers, and positive deviants. Additionally, we examined alternative opportunities and barriers to delay first pregnancy through pursuit of an alternative life course and the use of modern contraceptives. The findings will be used to design an appropriate intervention for rural Bangladesh. Read More...
Market Systems Analysis: Alternative Economic Pathways for Adolescent Girls in Kurigram district, Bangladesh
This market analysis aims to provide an overview of the sub-sectors within the Kurigram district of Bangladesh that offer viable and attractive economic alternatives to immediate childbearing for adolescent girls. Using a market systems development lens from the outset, the analysis consisted of a literature review, participatory sub-sector prioritization, and qualitative primary research in Kurigram that mapped the prioritized sub-sectors, focused on identifying opportunities and constraints for the participation of girls. Read More...
IMAGINE Baseline Analysis Report
CARE has partnered with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to implement IMAGINE, a project that examines how to support married adolescent girls and their families. The project aims at helping young women in Niger and Bangladesh to delay their first birth and to envision, value, and pursue alternative life trajectories. IMAGINE’s goal is two-fold: to identify, design, and test interventions that hold promise for delaying the timing of first birth among married adolescents and to document and share learning from this initiative with the wider development community to inform others working to address the issue of adolescent childbearing. IMAGINE is multifaceted, with components that enable married adolescent girls to delay first birth and to afford greater choice in pursuing an alternative life course. Read More...
Provision of life-saving WASH services for Rohingya Refugees in Bagghona/Potibonia (Camp 16), Ukhiya Upazila, Cox’s Bazar District: END LINE SURVEY REPORT
Provision of life-saving WASH services to the Rohingya refugee and host population project for Ukhia Upazila, Cox's Bazar district was implemented in Moynarghona (camp 16) by CARE Bangladesh with funding from UNICEF for twelve (12) months (February, 2019 to February, 2020). The goal of the project was to improve the quality of integrated WASH service delivery to support the well-being of children under 5 years, women, girls, men, boys the elderly and persons with disability in emergency situation. The project targeted 21,883 refugees (52% women and 48% men) with water, sanitation and hygiene promotion interventions.
CARE conducted the midterm assessment in February 2020. The survey involved both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and approaches. The samples were drawn systematically, with the sample size determined following most common statistical formula. A total of 300 respondent/households from camp 16 participated and the data collection. The questionnaires were uploaded in tablets with KoBo data collection application for accuracy and timeliness.
The objectives of the study are as follows:
- To understand water access situation for the beneficiary households in the camp 16.
- To know the sanitation status and use by households in the camp 16.
- To identify current Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of targeted respondent on water sanitation and hygiene practices.
- To identify water, sanitation and hygiene challenges for the households in camp 16. Read More...
CARE conducted the midterm assessment in February 2020. The survey involved both quantitative and qualitative data collection tools and approaches. The samples were drawn systematically, with the sample size determined following most common statistical formula. A total of 300 respondent/households from camp 16 participated and the data collection. The questionnaires were uploaded in tablets with KoBo data collection application for accuracy and timeliness.
The objectives of the study are as follows:
- To understand water access situation for the beneficiary households in the camp 16.
- To know the sanitation status and use by households in the camp 16.
- To identify current Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) of targeted respondent on water sanitation and hygiene practices.
- To identify water, sanitation and hygiene challenges for the households in camp 16. Read More...
COVID-19 Bangladesh Rapid Gender Analysis
Whilst lifesaving, the COVID-19 lockdown is disproportionately impacting women as existing gender inequalities are exacerbating gender-based disparities between women, men, girls and boys in terms of access to information, resources to cope with the pandemic,
and its socio-economic impact. It is therefore essential to undertake a gendered impact analysis of COVID-19.
The Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Working Group in Bangladesh has undertaken this Rapid Gender Analysis to inform national preparedness and response. Given the social distancing measures, RGA desk review contrasts pre-COVID-19 gender information and demographic data against new gender information from a multitude of surveys and qualitative sources. It examines the immediate impact of COVID-19 on pre-existing structural social and economic vulnerabilities of women, girls and diverse
gender groups, and the challenges faced by these groups in accessing information and health, education, and WASH, protection and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services as well as support for livelihoods. The gendered impact of COVID-19 is evident in following six broad areas:
• Increased risks and evidence of GBV in the context of the pandemic and its responses;
• Unemployment, economic and livelihood impacts for the poor women and girls;
• Unequal access to health, education and WASH services;
• Unequal distribution of care and domestic work;
• Women and girls’ voices are not being included to inform a gender-targeted response; this is particularly the case for those most left behind;
• Policy response mechanisms do not incorporate gender analytical data or gender-responsive plans. Read More...
and its socio-economic impact. It is therefore essential to undertake a gendered impact analysis of COVID-19.
The Gender in Humanitarian Action (GiHA) Working Group in Bangladesh has undertaken this Rapid Gender Analysis to inform national preparedness and response. Given the social distancing measures, RGA desk review contrasts pre-COVID-19 gender information and demographic data against new gender information from a multitude of surveys and qualitative sources. It examines the immediate impact of COVID-19 on pre-existing structural social and economic vulnerabilities of women, girls and diverse
gender groups, and the challenges faced by these groups in accessing information and health, education, and WASH, protection and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) services as well as support for livelihoods. The gendered impact of COVID-19 is evident in following six broad areas:
• Increased risks and evidence of GBV in the context of the pandemic and its responses;
• Unemployment, economic and livelihood impacts for the poor women and girls;
• Unequal access to health, education and WASH services;
• Unequal distribution of care and domestic work;
• Women and girls’ voices are not being included to inform a gender-targeted response; this is particularly the case for those most left behind;
• Policy response mechanisms do not incorporate gender analytical data or gender-responsive plans. Read More...