Gram Shobha (Issue Meeting) Gram Shobha, also known as Issue Meetings, are the congregation of VO members who meet once a month to discuss social and economic issues that affect their day-to-day lives. Issues related to social injustice, health, education, discrimination or violence against women and other relevant topical issues are discussed. The main goal of these meetings is to create a bond of solidarity between the women in the VOs and to ensure that the women, as well as BRAC staff, know what is happening in each other’s lives. This is a forum where women can discuss and share many of their personal problems and seek the advice of their peers. All Programme Organisers of the area and branch offices facilitate these meetings. Union Shomaj In order to have a people’s organisation capable of lobbying the Union Parishad and accessing distributed government resources, BRAC has been actively considering how best to promote the federation of the Polli Shomaj groups at the union level and eventually at the upazila level. BRAC has planned to set up 500 union associations on an experimental basis between 2003 and 2006. In this process, regions where existing people’s organisations (for example VOs and Polli Shomaj groups) are already very strong have been selected. If the experience is positive in these areas, more union associations will be set up in other regions where PS groups have become stronger and show an interest in federating at the union level. •
Follow-up ward federation activities Polli Shomaj The Polli Shomaj is a ward level organisation, made up of representatives from several Village Organisations and external poor members. BRAC initiated this organisation in 1998 which was meant to complement the Government’s initiative to set up local government bodies at the Ward level. BRAC’s federations are unique in that they have an all women membership. These new groups are part of BRAC’s attempt to re-focus on social mobilisation efforts and to strengthen local level institutions. The
main objective of Polli Shomaj is to give a political voice to poor
women and therefore ensure that their interests are represented in local
level bodies (government, or local groups such as bazaar, school or
mosque committees). Polli Shomaj also mobilizes government resources
such as Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) cards, old age pension cards,
Khash land and ponds, roads and embankments. So far, Polli Shomaj groups
have addressed issues such as illegal divorce, dowry, under-age marriage,
polygamy, corruption and injustice within the community. Polli Shomaj
members are also participating in greater One
of the major achievements of the PS groups is the creation of a new
cadre of women leaders among the poor. By providing them with various
types of leadership training and exposure in different forums (in their
own groups, in wider BRAC forums and in community forums), these women
are becoming capable of providing leadership within their groups and
in the community in Capacity Development for Women : Union Porishod Representatives The Regional Technical Assistance (RETA) for Gender and Governance Issues in Local Government was designed and sponsored by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to promote capacity development for the women Union Parishod Representatives. It was piloted in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan, with BRAC implementing the Bangladesh programme over an 18 month period in 16 upazilas and 141 Union Parishods in 4 districts. The pilot project which was completed in February 2004, primarily aimed to build the capacity of women leaders in local government to provide more efficient and transparent public service delivery. It sought to develop effective linkages among gender, poverty reduction and good governance in local government. The project was once again implemented in June 2004 and completed in December 2004 in 17 new upazilas and 167 Union Porishods in the same 4 districts. A comprehensive training programme in 2004, funded by ADB, promoted capacity development for 501 elected women representatives. In addition, a large number of male chairmen of the UPs were trained and gender sensitisation for many women UP members and male chairpersons was completed. 17 upazila level women’s forums for elected members of the UP were formed. The upazila forum meeting provides women members with access to systemic information about poverty alleviation projects, sectoral projects and social services in the entire upazila. Elected women members of the UP conduct monthly community meetings in their respective wards with poor women, grassroots women leaders and extension staff from the sectoral agencies and safety net programmes. The findings of the RETA project suggests that capacity development of female representatives has improved their technical skills and awareness, and increased opportunities for poor women to access development programmes and legal justice. Overall, the project has deepened grassroots democracy and allowed the participatory process to strengthen local government, while ensuring that welfare programmes reach the poor who need their services. BRAC plans to expand the project across the country where the Specially Targeted Ultra Poor (STUP) programmes are operational in the year to come. BRAC envisions this project being implemented on a national scale in the future. |