Gender Based Violence (GBV)
About CoP
Share-Net Bangladesh brings together the Communities of Practice (CoP) that consist of social and medical researchers, development practitioners, health workers, government officials and legal experts to engage with one another to find solutions and take critical issues forward. The purpose of the CoP is to have a systematised, focussed and demand driven approach and a clearer focus on maximising impact by using knowledge effectively for improved SRHR practices and policies. The CoP of Share-Net Bangladesh is aligned with the concept of the CoP of Share-Net International.
Objectives and expectations from the CoP on ‘Gender-Based Violence’
This Communities of Practice (CoP) is on Gender Based Violence (GBV) as an integral part of SRHR. Gender Based Violence (GBV) results from unequal power relationships between the two genders in the context of a particular society. It is interlinked with four types of violence – a) physical violence, b) sexual violence, c) psychological violence, and d) economic violence.
There is a recent spike in the number of cases of gender based violence (GBV) in Bangladesh, especially since the beginning of 2020.
In the year 2021, SNBD will work with the CoP on Gender Based Violence on the emerging cases of domestic violence, sexual abuse, intimate partner violence and so on around the country. A focus on these will be analysed as impacts of the pandemic (lockdown) situation and also overall impacts of climate change.
In order to have the targeted outcomes from this CoP, the objectives and expectations are as follows:
- The COP members will meet three times before December 2021.
- The COP will discuss on the issue of gender-based violence in Bangladesh as well as linking it to climate change, therefore providing substantial input for developing a knowledge product on gender-based violence in Bangladesh.
- All the members are expected to join in the Knowledge Fair event and contribute in the discussions.
Context of Gender-Based Violence in Bangladesh:
Gender-based Violence (GBV) results from unequal power relationships between the two genders in the context of a particular society. It is interlinked with four types of violence– a) physical violence, b) sexual violence, c) psychological violence, and d) economic violence.
In Bangladesh, Violence is underpinned by persistent patriarchal attitudes towards women, as well as stereotypical views of their roles and responsibilities. Factors that play a crucial role in perpetuating violence against women, alongside patriarchal norms, include low literacy rates, women’s lack of control over resources or household income, and limited economic opportunities (ILO).
The experience of several natural and humanitarian disasters over the last two decades shows that various forms of GBV increase in post-disaster periods, becoming a second disaster for the largely female victims. In the past decades, the number of natural disasters and its impact are increasing as a result of climate change according to research (Rezwana, N., & Pain, R., 2020). Disaster increases the domestic violence towards women as male member lose their jobs, they use abusive language and torture physically to the female members of the family (Alam et al., 2008). These are the common pictures within most of the climate affected households of rural Bangladesh.
The Chair and the Members
- Chair: (TBA)
- Members of the CoP:
| Sl. | Name | Organisation |
| 1 | Dr. Selina Ferdous | Self-Employed |
| 2 | Nishath Sultana | Freelance Writer & Development worker |
| 3 | Farhana Shams Shumi | UNICEF |
| 4 | Syeda Samara Mortada | SheDecides |
| 5 | Dr Ferdousi Begum | Plan International Bangladesh |
| 6 | Rawnak Jahan | CARE Bangladesh |
| 7 | Mahbuba Haque Kumkum | Simavi |
| 8 | Dr. Shamima Parveen | Pathfinder International |
| 9 | Nurunnahar | GJD, BRAC |
| 10 | Fatema Shabnam | Pathfinder International |
| 11 | Sohanur Rahman | MenEngage Alliance |
- Contact: To contact us directly please write to Jannatul Munia, Share-Net Bangladesh Coordinator at jannat@redorangecom.com