22 January 2013, Dhaka. BRAC Gender Justice and Diversity Division (GJD) organized a Youth Dialogue on “Gender Equality and Youth” with a support from Youth Forum for Poverty Alleviation and Development (YFPAD) in BRAC Auditorium, BRAC Centre on January 22, 2013. Sheepa Hafiza, Director, Gender Justice & Diversity and Migration, BRAC graced as the chief guest while Ahsanul Islam, Program Head and Gabriel Baroi, Program Coordinator attended as special guests. YFPAD President Raquibul Islam chaired and Secretary General GalibIbn Anwarul Azim moderated the session.
YFPAD is a new generation youth platform which promotes youth inclusion to development, and had been a partner of BRAC Advocacy Unit for Social Change for last two years. The platform contributed to the BRAC advocacy campaign on ultra-poverty issues titled ‘Challenging the Frontiers of Poverty Reduction- Targeting the Ultra Poor (CFPR-TUP)’ successfully.
This dialogue is a part of a GJD-YFPAD joint campaign titled ‘Awakening Youth Campaign for Reducing Vulnerability of Women’ that aims to engage youth actively into gender equality and women empowerment processes. About 50 youth leaders from 30 youth led voluntary groups participated in the dialogue and discussed how to include younger people –both women and men—in existing development practices to reduce different forms of violence against women and girls. They vowed to work as agents of change through a commitment and to form an allied network involving youth towards gender equality and women empowerment. They also agreed to join the upcoming collective initiatives undertaking by GJD and YFPAD. These include awareness workshops, alternative youth parliament, essay competition, video documentary contest, photography contest, wall magazine competitions in schools, awareness creating cycle rally and many more!
The youth led organizations comprise of Counterpart International; Economics Study Centre, Dhaka University; Business and Economics Forum, BRAC University; Initiative For Peace; Voluntary Work for Social Change; Architecture Lab Ltd; Humanity Foundation; Young Pioneers; Dhaka University Reading Club; Dhaka University Film Society; Dhaka University Debating Society; Jahangirnagar University Debating Society; North South University Debating Club; Asian University Debating Club; Green University Debating Club; Spondon Madrasha Debating Society; Dhaka City College Debating Club; BRAC University Art Society; BRAC University Adventure Club.
Participants from other organizations also like Center for Policy Dialogue; Department of Women and Gender Studies, DU and BRAC Development Institute attended the dialogue.
GJD as part of its innovation is prioritizing the involvement of youth in its programs. GJD realizes that many problems including violence and sexual harassment against girls cannot address effectively unless youth, boys and men are included in the drives.
