On 20 May 2022 Central Legal Aid Sub-Committee of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) organized a District level leaders’ Training of Trainers ( TOT ) on Prevention of Violence against women and girls to protect women’s Human Rights at Anwara Begum Munira Khan Auditorium of BMP. The opening session and working sessions of the training were chaired by Rakha Chowdhury, Vice President of BMP and the Ending session was chaired by Dr. Fauzia Moslem, President of BMP, Central Committee. At the beginning of the training, Dr. Maleka Banu, General Secretary of the Central Committee delivered the welcome speech and Advocate Masuda Rehana Begum, Joint General Secretary of BMP also delivered a speech. Rakha Saha, Secretary of Legal Aid Sub-Committee presented the objectives of the ( TOT ).
Rakha Chowdhury said that knowledge gained from the training should be spread out to raise awareness and skills to help the victims of women and girls from violence and to strengthen the movement to build a persecution-free society.
Maleka Banu said that 80% women and girls are tortured in different ways. To stop violence against women & girls, the necessity of training is unavoidable. She added that we should find out the root causes of violence against women and girls.
Sima Moslam said that we must change our attitude towards women. Violence against women and girls is not a personal problem of women. It is a social matter. Men and women need to solve problems together.
Advocate Masuda Rehana Begum said that all citizens are equal before the law. Women are discriminated against in different ways. To stop discrimination against women and girls, we must continue our movement for Legislation in the light of the Uniform Family Code (UFC).
Rakha Saha said that there are some specific rules about Training. We should build up ourselves like successful trainers and utilize the knowledge and skills gained from the training to forward women’s movement.
Sima Moslam, Joint General Secretary, Advocate Masuda Rehana Begum, Joint General Secretary, Rakha Saha, Secretary of Legal Aid Sub-Committee of the Central Committee, Jana Goswami, Director, Advocacy and Lobby, Adv. Dipti Sikder, Acting Director, Legal Advocacy and Lobby, Senior Adv.Ram Lal Raha facilitated the working sessions. The topics of working sessions were:
- Women’s Human Rights from the perspective of protection, prevention and promotion related to violence against women & girls
- Present Challenges of local level advocacy on the protection prevention of violence against women & girls
- Role and plan of the organizers to protect women & girls from violence and social anomie
- Social impact of Child Marriage and way forward to prevent Child Marriage
- Domestic Violence (prevention and protection) Act, 2010 for the protection of Women’s Human Rights and way forward to prevent domestic violence
- Women’s Human Rights: Uniform Family Code (UFC)
After discussions, participants were engaged in small Group exercise on the role of the organizers to prevent violence against women & girls and future plan to address the Challenges and identify recommendations for the future initiative. After exercise, the small group’s findings were presented. The group works were Facilitated by Adv. Dipti Sikdar, Adv. Ram Lal Raha, Legal Aid Secretary of City Committee Shamima Afroza Irin and Adv. Fatema Khatun.
The chair of the ending session Dr. Fauzia Moslem concluded the training by saying that to sustain the women’s advancement and prevent violence against women & girls, it is essential to utilize the knowledge and skills gained from the training.
A total number of 85 leaders from 22 Districts of Rajshahi, Barishal, Chittagong, Sylhet and Rangpur Divisions, leaders of the central committee, and lawyers of Legal Aid Sub-Committee attended the program. Different sessions of the training were conducted by Shamima Afroza Irin, Legal Aid Secretary of City Committee, Advocate Fatema Khatun and Sabikun Nahar, Central Legal Aid Sub-Committee of BMP
