The Trust Fund in Support of Actions to Eliminate Violence against Women was established at UNIFEM in 1996 by a UN General Assembly resolution. It is an important and strategic part of UNIFEM’s work to eliminate violence against women. Its primary goal is to identify and support local, national, regional and international initiatives to prevent and eliminate violence against women.
Awareness and Action through Popular Culture: Women’s Dreams for the New Century
With the NGO Breakthrough, a music video, ‘Babul’ on VAW was produced and released in September 2001 to the Indian community in Durban during the Conference on Racism. It was also used as a tool in several workshops. Both the music videos ‘Mann ke Manjeere ‘& ‘Babul’ were screened in Australia by UNAIDS at the ICAAP Conference. The initiative demonstrates an unique collaboration between a NGO and the entertainment industry on VAW and women’s rights.
Sri Lanka: The Muslim Women’s Research and Action Forum (MWRAF) has undertaken an intervention on Violence against Women in the Muslim Community (Sri Lanka). This involves conducting a survey and case studies on the levels of violence in the Muslim community, including causes, consequences and coping mechanisms. Awareness raising material (booklets, posters, newsletters) that respond to the survey findings will be produced and the survey results shared with policy makers, activists, print & electronic media & other stakeholders to raise public awareness on VAW.
Bangladesh: The Centre for Women and Children’s Studies (CWCS), Bangladesh is gender sensitizing the police and members of the community to combat various forms of violence and increasing awareness on women’s rights in Jessore and Rajshahi. Through a consultation, which included development practitioners, NGOs, police officials, journalists and lawyers, material was developed to gender sensitize the police and the community. It focused on developing content for the training manual, booklet & referral card, sticker and leaflet and on developing case scenarios on dowry, domestic violence, rape, sexual harassment, trafficking in women, and acid throwing. Discussions were held on the role of police officers in recording First Information Reports (FIRs), on the process of investigation and interrogation, and the submission of charges. Six five-day trainings on gender sensitivity were organized for the police and the community in 2001 in collaboration with NGOs. The first two days of the workshop were for the police, the next two-days for the community, with the last session being an interactive session with both police & the community. The following material was shared at these workshops: 1) Awareness Manual on child trafficking, 2) the Poster on trafficking, 3) Facilitators handbook for interactive workshops in English and Bangla and 4) the Trainers Manual for police and community sensitization in English and Bangla.
Publications: A Facilitators Handbook for interactive workshops in English and Bangla, the Trainers Manual for police and community sensitization in English and Bangla, and a Workbook Exercise for the Community have been developed and produced. CWCS can be reached at: ish@bdmail.com or Centre for Women and Children’s Studies, 92, New Eskaton Road, Dhaka – 1000, Bangladesh.