A consultative meeting was held in Subarnachar, Noakhali, with the aim of building strong coordination between various government departments at the local level and women from vulnerable communities to prevent violence against women. The program was organized by Participatory Research and Action Network-PRAN. The meeting was held at the Hatia Union Parishad office on Sunday afternoon in collaboration with UNFPA and ActionAid. The main objective of the meeting was to develop an integrated strategy for preventing and responding to gender-based violence at the local level. In addition, special emphasis was placed on developing safety, services and referral pathways for women during disasters and ensuring the commitment and cooperation of each stakeholder.
All representatives who can play an important role in preventing violence against women, including the Department of Women Affairs, Department of Social Services, administration, teachers, qazis, were present in the meeting. Sub-Inspector Abdul Momit Shuvo, in charge of the Women, Children and Disabled Support Desk of Char Jabbar Police Station in Subarnachar Union, said, “Many complaints are not taken seriously in the local arbitration meeting. If there is domestic violence, it is not taken into account further. “ He urged the victims to seek help from the police through the dedicated desk in the face of any violence.
Kamrunnahar, Deputy Director of the Department of Women Affairs, said in her speech, “There are many complaints of violence against women in the Subarnachar area. To prevent violence against women, women must first be aware and children must be taught respect and equality from the family. ” At one point in the discussion, she gave valuable advice to the community members present on where they can get help to remedy violence. The women present said that if they are victims of violence, going to local dignitaries does not provide much solution and there is a risk to their personal safety. They consider legal recourse to be safer. The organizers hope that through this consultative meeting, an effective integrated process will be created to prevent violence against women in Subarnachar through the commitment and cooperation of all stakeholders at the local level.