ActionAid Bangladesh

Impactful Initiatives

Two social audits to map the availability of gender-responsive public services in Nondipara, Dhaka and Ghoraghat, Gaibandha were undertaken, engaging representatives of local authorities and community members. This initiative created a bridge between the community and the local government representatives with the intent to improve public services for the community. The significance of this whole engagement is that it creates the scope for holding public service providers accountable.

A digital innovation challenge, ‘Youth Connects Youth’, was organised by ACTIVISTA to encourage young people for sharing innovative ideas on social, climate and gender justice. The digital solutions and interventions developed by young people found means of testing through this project. In 2022, 27 innovative ideas were generated under the platform and three of the ideas were awarded. These were -‘Gender Game’ for gender equity and GBV awareness, ‘Safety Pin’ for cyber etiquette education, and ‘The Future is Female’ for empowering underprivileged girls. The intent of such initiative is to promote and nurture a youth-led culture where young people constantly innovate solutions.

Best Practices

Women and Youth-led Emergency Response

During the emergency response in 2022, AAB mobilised 79 women and 25 youth leaders from the grassroots communities to lead response work. It is an outcome of AAB’s creative effort, first introduced in 2013, to build the capacity of women and young people to respond at time of disaster.

Citizen’s Platform for SDGs

AAB partnered with the Citizen's Platform for SDGs in Bangladesh for four years to support the youth agenda, localise the SDG implementation process, and empower young leaders. This partnership has a significant impact on shaping the platform's agenda to be transformative for youth and aligned with achieving the SDGs and the country's development goals. As part of the process, a youth conference with 500 participants was held in 2022. The conference featured the presentation of the 'Youth Declaration 2022' position paper and six engaging parallel sessions that covered various topics.

Women's Café Model

The cafés continue to serve as a unique model to engage with RMG workers. It continues to be the only hub in the sector which provides a safe and welcoming space for RMG workers to gather, network, and receive knowledge and support services. The cafés serve as an effective conduit to disseminate information and training on rights, entitlements, and leadership skills, enabling them to effectively communicate their needs and negotiate for these requirements. Women’s café allows for a space to impart skills development trainings and health and legal support services in times of need, providing a sense of community to the RMG workers and bolstering their confidence. In 2022, 29,486 workers received training on labour rights and employment injury insurance through 23 Women’s Cafes located in Dhaka and Chattogram.

Information Service Centre

Information service centres continue to function as fast and reliable hubs for accessing information in the Rohingya camps. Building on the success of previous years, in 2022, five new centres were established in five camps. 10,530 referral services and 3,381 cases were resolved through these centres in the Rohingya community.

Targeted Capacity-building Programmes

To enhance the knowledge and skills of young people and women about climate change adaptation, sustainable agriculture, disaster preparedness, and advocacy, targeted capacity building programmes were organised. It encouraged peer-to-peer learning and created platforms for sharing local knowledge and best practices. Several sustainable and climate-friendly income-generating initiatives were undertaken at the community level post these programmes.

Energy Literacy Programme

A new initiative covering 1,793 students from twelve educational institutions in seven divisions of Bangladesh to educate them on various topics related to the energy transition, just transition and renewable energy. It resulted in the formation of two university environmental clubs, which would actively promote the adoption and utilisation of green energy practices. For the first time, accountability was ensured by involving young people from all over the country.

To prevent and respond to violence against women and mainstream women’s rights and gender-responsive programming, ActionAid Bangladesh has been working in collaboration with United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) since 2017 in different parts of the country. The partnership commenced through the implementation of a joint humanitarian response programme, following a landslide in the hill tracts of Rangamati, through which 8,500 displaced households were supported. The support included prevention of gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health services, and multi-purpose cash grant support.

From 2018 to 2021, AAB and UNFPA collaborated to run programmes in ten disasterprone districts of Bangladesh and reached 70,000 people by operating women-friendly spaces (WFS) for strengthening gender-based violence (GBV) prevention and lifesaving response for women and girls.

In 2020, United Nations Country Team in Bangladesh, for the first time, conducted forecast-based anticipatory response for the northern flood with the funding of Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). ActionAid Bangladesh supported the procurement and pre-positioned provision of 3,255 dignity kits, an exemplary initiative in anticipatory action in partnership with the UN.

Under the scope of this partnership, advocacy initiatives were undertaken with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) and Ministry of Disaster Management & Relief at both national and district levels for implementing Standing Orders on Disaster and integration of GBV interventions in disaster preparedness.

I am very happy that the women of my union are receiving the midwifery services just at their door. It will be great if Women Friendly Space (WFS) can ensure this service at cyclone shelters during cyclones as well. We are grateful to UNFPA and ActionAid Bangladesh for this initiative

— Ponchanon Kumar Mondol,
Chairman, Kamarkhola Union Parishad, Dacope, Khulna, one of the project areas.

IMPACTFUL INITIATIVES, BEST PRACTICES AND CHALLENGES