The Issue
Through life skills education programmes for adolescent girls and young women, such as the Girls Shine Programme, DCA and UNFPA is aiming to equip girls aged 10-19 years with the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values to empower them to realize their health, wellbeing, and dignity, and develop respectful social and family relationships.
The congested nature of the camps poses serious safety, security, and wellbeing risks, particularly for children, women and girls, who continue to be at disproportionate risk of all forms of violence including Gender-Based Violence (GBV). The situation of the host community is also very similar.
Different research findings have shown that on average, one-in-four Rohingya women and girls screened between 2019-2021 reported having experienced certain forms of GBV (IRC).
The Girls Shine programme specifically is contributing to improving the prevention of and response to violence against adolescent girls in the camps as well as in immediate host communities and promote replacement of harmful traditional practices, oppressive attitudes and beliefs that limit adolescent girls’ choices and participation.
The Project
This project focuses on delivering structured GBV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) sessions in safe spaces, as well as a Girl Shine curriculum. These toolkits are to reduce gender-based violence including child marriage. Another initiative being taken is recruitment of young women as mentors and train them to expand the safety networks for the girls in their communities. In addition, other existing Community-Based Protection Group (CBPG) members are involved in curbing violence towards women and girls at the community level by popularizing a new culture of non-violence and disseminate GBV prevention messages.
Sensitization of male and female caregivers was made to ensure girls participation in the programme, as well as sensitization of local stakeholders and key community leaders, to create awareness about the project.
This project also focused on organizing sports competitions and distributing “sports for development kits” among adolescent girls and boys. And organizing social behavior change communication through campaigns, theater for development programmes. And lastly, provide human resources and operational support, ensure timely monitoring and quality assurance, communication of results.
The Change
This project will help girls, at risk of adolescent pregnancy, child marriage, or who are married, who will benefit from the improved economic and life skills education opportunities. They will be protected from violence and be able to access protection interventions and services across the development-humanitarian-peacebuilding continuum.
People reached so far:
Women and Girls: 41,848
Men: 15,422
About this project
Project title: “Girl Shine – Life Skills education and empowerment programme for adolescent girls and young women in FDMN camps and host communities in Cox’s Bazar”
Period: 1 October 2020 to 31 December 2022
Amount: 1,198,336 US Dollars
People reached: 57,270
Donor: UNFPA
