Awareness Campaign on ‘Prevention of Violence against Women, Child Rights, and Community-based dispute resolution’ through Community Radio Show titled ‘Khola Janala’
Duration : October 2020 to March 31, 2021
Funded by : Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)
Total Budget : 12,37,923 (14,563 USD)
BNNRC has been coordinating a Radio Shows for raising awareness campaign on ‘Prevention of Violence against Women and Children and Community-based dispute resolution’ in Bangladesh.
Through broadcasting the radio programs-Public Service Announcement (PSA), Drama, and Jingle the community radio stations have been involved in increasing community awareness for the Prevention of Violence against women and children and encouraged people to Community-based dispute resolution under this campaign.
This initiative is being implemented under the Rule of Law Programme, implemented by GIZ Bangladesh in partnership with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA) and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs (MoLJPA) supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UK
Project Description
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, a dramatic increase has been reported in recorded cases of violence against women and domestic violence worldwide. Bangladesh is also in the same deck.
According to a recent survey by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), during the lockdown in May, some 13,494 women and children became victims of violence in 53 districts of the country. Out of these, 4,180 women and children became victims for the first time. The rate of violence against women and children has increased by 31 percent, compared to domestic violence data of April 2020.
Among domestic violence cases, 4946 or 45 percent of the victims are women. Of them, 3569 or 33 percent victims of economic violence, 2065 victims or 19 percent victims of physical abuse, and 404 victims or 4 percent victims of sexual harassment. There are also incidences of rape, attempted rape, sexual harassment, and murder. Some women were sexually harassed while collecting relief material.
In May 2171 children were victims of various forms of violence. Of them, 1621 children, or 75% became victims of domestic violence. Among types of violence, included, among others, child marriage, workplace violence, kidnapping, murder, rape, and attempted sexual harassment. Among the abused children, 1477 or 68 percent were girls and 694 or 32 percent were boys. Among the girls, 1,013 or 62.5 percent were victims of domestic violence.
A fundamental problem for citizens, especially women, children, and those in rural communities of our country, is that they are not aware of the rights and services they are entitled to and as a result, they cannot benefit from those opportunities. Therefore, it is imperative to provide better access to laws and services to more people, particularly women, to improve their situation. This can only be achieved by ensuring that they are aware of – and most importantly, understand – relevant information and support from a variety of sources. In this backdrop and galvanize action to reduce violence against women and children at the grassroots level, community radio can be an easily accessible and effective platform in media campaigns.
The objectives of the Campaign are-
- To raise awareness of the maximum number of listeners about Violence against Women and Children violence with information related to the law and justice system and services provided by the government
- To make people encourage to Community based dispute resolution
The intervention of the Project
- Program Production and Broadcast
- Develop and broadcast awareness-building radio shows through 16 community radios in Bangladesh addressing three major thematic areas-
- Violence against Women (VAW): focus on Gender-based violence and Domestic Violence under this thematic area.
- Child Rights: Negative impact of child marriage and other problems related to the girl child and adolescent girl will be covered under this thematic area.
- Community-based dispute resolution: focus on solving local disputes at the local level by using RJ, mediation, and ADR process.
Under the three thematic areas, this assignment focuses on the development of a total of 36 radio programs in 3 formats in 4 regional dialects. The formats of the radio shows are-
- Issue-based short drama (around 2-2.5 mins)
- Jingle/song (around 1.5-2 mins)
- PSA/Announcement/Key message (around 1 min)
Sharing through Social Media: All the radio stations shared the PSA, Drama, and jingle through their official Facebook page. The programs have also been shared by other BNNRC channels (social media and other correspondence).
Target audience
The radio programs are broadcasting at the community level expected to reach out to the people living in community radio areas and also reach out to netizens through the web. Through the programs already 3.9 million (39 Lac and 30 Thousand) listeners of the target areas (the coverage area of 16 CR stations in 14 districts of the country) became aware of legal protection and restorative justice which is helping to resolve/mediate the conflict in an alternative way at the local level.
Besides A total of 32 broadcasters from 16 community radios have gathered ample knowledge and became expert to produce and broadcast such sensitive and community need-based magazine programs
Linkages between the SDGs
In line with the United Nations SDGs, by increasing the accessibility of information for grass-root people we can achieve the following objectives:
SDG-5: The initiatives have been contributing to achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
SDG-16.3: The initiative is increasing participation of poor justice seekers in media is an agenda for aiming access to justice for all, reduction of social inequality, and to make easy their access to information.
SDGs 16.10: The program has been contributing to community access to information by using direct media.
Listener’s Feedback
“Khola Janala is a great initiative. It is an urgent issue to inform and aware community people on child marriage and govt. legal assistance services and local service centers. I believe that if the community radio can continue with this awareness-raising program in such a way, many parents will not be interested in the early marriage of their children -said Abdus Salam, a conscious guardian of Chapainawbgonj (Radio Mahannada).
Laboni Akhter, a listener (Radio Meghna), said she had saved a poster on Radio Meghna’s Facebook page with the helpline number (Local Paralegals Number) provided by GIZ for legal assistance in preventing violence against women. If necessary, she can these numbers and seek legal help.
`Khola Janala’, which stands for an open window, is information and motivational program that has been broadcasting in 16 Community radio stations in Bangladesh. The radio stations are -Radio Padma 99.2 FM (Rajshahi), Radio Nalta 99.2 FM (Kaligonj, Satkhira), Loko Betar 99.2FM( Barguna), Radio Pollikontho 99.2 FM (Moulvibazar), Radio Sagor Giri, 99.2 FM, (Sitakundo, Chattagram), Radio Mahananda 98.8 FM, (Chapai Nawabgonj), Radio, Mukti 99.2 FM (Bagura), Radio Chilmari 99.2FM ( Kurigram), Radio Jhenuk 99.2 FM (Jhenedah), Krishi Radio 99.8 FM (Amtoli, Barguna), Radio Naf 99.2 FM, (Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar), Radio Bikrampur 99.2 FM (Munshigonj), Radio Meghna 99.0 FM, (Charfession, Bhola), Radio Sagor Dwip 99.2FM (Hatia, Noakhali), Radio Sarabela 98.8 FM, (Gaibandha) and Radio Boral 99.0FM, (Bagha, Rajshahi )
About BNNRC
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) is a National Apex Body on Community Media Development Working for Building a Democratic Society based on the Principles of Free Flow of Information, Equitable & Affordable Access to Information & Communication Technology (ICT) for remote & marginalized population.
BNNRC is in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) accredited with World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) of the United Nations from 2003 and WSIS prize winner 2016, Champion 2017, 2019 & 2020.
BNNRC is dedicated to promoting gender balance in the technology sector, especially in community media by championing equality of access, skills development, and career opportunities for disadvantaged youth and youth women.
We are working for raising awareness, building social commitment, leveraging resources and knowledge, increasing the capacities of the community media broadcasters to achieve digital gender equality and to improve the livelihoods of community people.
BNNRC is playing the role of a catalyst that explores support for the capacity building of the community radios in Bangladesh. At present, community radios reach 9 million listeners of 117 Upazilas under 16 districts in Bangladesh. A total of 1000 young broadcasters are now working with these stations throughout the country; half of them are young women and belong to marginalized groups. BNNRC is being organized Community Radio Show for raising Awareness for ‘Prevention of Violence against Women, Child Rights, and Community-based dispute resolution’ through Community Radio ‘Khola Janala’.
Contact-
Protiva Banerjee
Project Focal
Tel: +88 02 48116262 | +88 02 9101479 | +88 02 9138501
Cell: +8801814847780
Email: protiva@bnnrc.net
www.bnnrc.net