Rationale
In Bangladesh, half of the population is women with low
socio-economic conditions. With multi-dimensional problems in
society and gender disparity, it is difficult for women to
stay parallel and enjoy the right of equal participation. Some
of the critical issues for women that need to be addressed to
reduce gender disparity are lack of equal opportunity for
women in education , work and health services. Only 9.7% of
women are in the formal sector while 90.3% are in the informal
sector. Alongside, only 28% of students involved in technical
and vocational training are women. Considering these issues,
JAAGO in collaboration with UN Women arranged youth-led
consultations and national events to capacitate youth on the
12 critical areas of concern of the Beijing Declaration and
Platform for Action.
Objective
Increase Bangladesh’s youth understanding of the 12 critical
areas of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and
bring forward their perspectives and recommendations to
improve gender equality in Bangladesh
Activity
Details
Youth-led consultations: A total of 700 youth from 10
districts of Bangladesh gained a better understanding of the
12 critical areas of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for
Action through youth-led consultation meetings. Youths’
perspectives and recommendations for improving gender equality
in Bangladesh were also brought forward.
Youth-Focused National Events:
A dialogue was held at the University of Liberal Arts
Bangladesh (ULAB) among 150 youth where the 12 critical areas
of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action were
discussed. The panelists discussed the traditional mindset of
society and participants sharing their concerns about the
revision of the existing gender policies.
Rallies and cultural events were organized by Bangladesh
Mahila Parishad with support from UN Women in Central Shahid
Minar, Dhaka, in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the
Beijing Declaration and Forum for Action. CSO representatives
and 50 volunteers from JAAGO participated and proclaimed their
support on behalf of women’s human rights organizations.
A session on “Youth Voice for the Future” was held at JAAGO’s
National Youth Assembly in 2020. Every year this assembly
connects the nation’s youth with renowned professionals,
practitioners, and policymakers from many quadrants to discuss
how to make development sustainable and implement the SDGs
successfully across Bangladesh through active youth
participation. Around 600 youth participated in the assembly
where the session focused on informing youth on reducing
gender inequality, empowering women, reducing violence against
women and ensuring women’s rights.
Social Media Campaign: A four-month-long
mass awareness campaign was conducted highlighting the
critical issues discussed in the youth-led consultation.
