Rationale

Based on the “Bangladesh National Hygiene Baseline Survey 2014,” 86% of adolescent students use old cloth during menstruation” furthermore, only 12% of the students wash properly with soap and sun-dry the cloth. The report further highlights that 40 %of female students in Bangladesh skip school during the menstrual period due to poor toilet infrastructure. It is not only the female students but female teachers who are also forced to take leave because of the toilet facilities being inadequate.

23,234 women were victims of different forms of violence in the four years and 10 months, nationwide, according to the statistics provided by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad around 2018. 4,777 of these women were victims of violence in 2013, 4654 in 2014, 4436 in 2015, 4896 in 2016, and 4471 in those 10 months.

The purpose of this program was to point out the particular challenges in legal support, health, leadership that women are facing. Also to bring teachers, community leaders, artists, activists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs together on the same platform. So that it helps to promote the local women entrepreneurs through the marketplace.

Objective

Celebrating women and girls’ achievements and exploring the obstacles which prevent them from achieving their full potential.

Activity Details

WOW Dhaka: Sylhet Chapter organized by JAAGO Foundation, the British Council, and South Bank Centre. It provided a platform to celebrate women and girls and explore the obstacles which prevent them from achieving their full potential. It consisted of panel discussions, performances, inspirational talks, and many more, highlighting the particular challenges facing the women of Bangladesh. The covered topics included tech for women, legal support, health, leadership, and how to support young Bangladeshi people as empowered individuals. The program ended up with traditional music, dance, and drama performances.

The program had brought together women from all over Sylhet and provoked conversations between teachers, community leaders, artists, activists, filmmakers, and entrepreneurs who discussed significant issues that women face today. It also celebrated and highlighted their achievements. It curated an inclusive, empowering space that pushes at the boundaries of gender conventions. By pulling together diverse contributions from the wider community, WOW Dhaka: Sylhet Chapter has drawn upon a lived reality to inspire real change.