Organization : Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC)
Country : Bangladesh
Project duration: June 2018 to December 2021
Supported by : Bandhu Social Welfare Society (BSWS)
Executive Summary
Hijras (Transgender population) are socially excluded, living on the fringes of society, harassed by the police and abused by the public. Though most of them are involved in singing and dancing at weddings or child birth as a part of their traditional Badhai culture but a few of them are in begging and sex trade. Violence against Hijra, especially Hijra sex workers, is often brutal, and occurs in public spaces, police stations, prisons, and their homes. They face extreme discrimination in health, housing, education, employment, immigration, law, and any bureaucracy that is unable to place them into male or female gender categories.
A landmark decision has already been made by the government of Bangladesh acknowledging the Hijra as third gender in 11th November 2013. This recognition makes the special group secure and help them to raise voice for their rights, enabling them to identify their gender as ‘Hijra’ in all government documents, including passports apart from allowing them to identify their gender as ‘Hijra’ when personal information needs to be furnished. In the following year 2014, government of Bangladesh announce that the third gender community needs a specific law to be enacted for covering their rights.
Project description
Building community awareness on the right of “Hijra” community, Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication (BNNRC) has been initiating a radio program through 15 Community Radio stations with the support from Bandhu Social Welfare Society (BSWS), aiming for empowering the Hijra community people as well as community to extend their support for establishing their human rights in the society. The radios are broadcasting altogether 142 hours program per day on information, education, local entertainment, human rights and development motivation activities. Presently, around 1000 Youth Women & Youth are working with these radio stations throughout the country as broadcasters.
Goal
Sensitized the stakeholders on Human Rights of gender diverse population through Community Radio.
Objectives:
- To increase awareness and knowledge among the gender diverse populations about their human rights
- To improve the environment for the gender diverse population with access to public services by sensitizing policy makers & stakeholders
- To enhance the capacity of relevant stakeholders to reduce harassment, stigma, discrimination and human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity
- To increase the empowerment of the gender diverse population through capacity building by addressing their human rights issues.
Partner Community Radio Stations and Radio Program
Presently, fifteen (15) community radios are developing and broadcasting radio programs on the rights of gender diverse population for sensitizing the mass people on this issue. The contents of the program are developed in-consultation and participation of gender diverse population and designed following the local dialects and issues. Representatives of the third gender population are taking part in producing and broadcasting the programs. The format of the radio programs are Public Service announcement (PSA) and magazine by blending songs, local news, case stories, drama and talks.
The partner 15 Community Radio stations are- Community Radio Padma, Radio Nalta, Radio Lokobetar, Radio Pollikontho, Radio Sagor Giri, Radio Mahananda, Radio Mukti, Radio Chilmari, Radio Jhenuk, Radio Sundarban, Radio Naf, Radio Bikrampur, Borendro Radio, Radio Sagordwip and Community Radio Sarabela.
Major Activities of the project
These programs are quite supportive to the activities reflected in 7th five-year plan of Government of Bangladesh, UN World Summit on the Information Society (UN WSIS) Action Plan, and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Empowering the Third Gender (Hijra’s) through Community Radio in BNNRC initiates this small program based on a set of micro-narratives in line with rural Bangladesh through Community Broadcasting with the directly participation of the Third Gender (Hijra’s). Its aim is to draw an attention on the multidimensional aspects of poverty experienced by Hijras and how traditional and binary understanding of gender itself manifest in extreme social exclusion. By 2030, the vision of the SDGs is to move towards a just, equitable, tolerant and socially inclusive world where the needs of the most vulnerable are met.
Community people of rural Bangladesh have yet to understand and recognize the multi-dimensional aspects of gender-identity discrimination and the physical and emotional effects of stereotypical perceptions experienced by Hijras. While the third gender has been recognized by the Government, Hijras continue to face extreme discrimination in the present moment and on a daily basis in every aspect of their lives. From accessing healthcare, education, safe living spaces, public transport and other services, they severely lack opportunities to earn a decent livelihood, and ultimately are denied their basic human rights for a life of respect and dignity. At present, there are 10,000 Hijras living in Bangladesh.
Empowering the Third Gender (Hijra’s) through Community Radio in Bangladesh is contributing that the future can be made more promising through the community radio program, so far as government, Hijra communities, development sector, private sector, NGOs, academia, community people – together put in concerted efforts for the inclusion of Hijras in the daily community life in rural Bangladesh. Most importantly, the voices of the Hijra community – their ideas, aspirations and solutions – must be at the heart of this process.
Role of Mass Media
Increase the numbers of programs focusing and involving Hijra community in the media and start campaign to stop presenting negative image of Hijra in the mass media, produce documentary, film and investigating article on Hijra Issue.
Program contents:
Radio magazines and Public Service Announcement (PSA) have been developing and broadcasting based on several contents considering the local issues and using local dialogues so that the community can easily understand the messages. The programs are designing in consultation with and engaging the Hijra community people. The contents are-
- Recognition as Individuals
The program focuses on acknowledgement of Hijra community in constitution, Introduce National ID as Third Gender, Ensure Voter ID for all Hijra community, Reserve quota for Hijra in the national parliament, Introduce third box in all official forms etc.
- Ensure of health services
Motivate the service providers for ensuring free treatment facilities for Hijra communities in all govt. hospitals and private hospital, initiatives to reduce harassment to get access from Govt. hospitals/private hospital, Introduce special care program for mental support to them.
- Rehabilitation program
Allocate Govt. land for Hijra community by prioritizing elderly Hijra, initiatives to build division wise individual neighborhood for Hijra community, legal support for inheritance of property, specific laws and policies to ensure Hijra rights, include Hijra in inheritance laws, develop anti discriminatory law to protect the rights of Hijra community and other minority population, effective measures to enact the laws beside the formulation of different policies.
- Education Program
Establish discrimination free educational system to ensure basic rights, introduce Hijra culture in national curriculum in primary and secondary level with proper information and realistic data, Introduce Hijra studies in different academy like other studies i.e Sociology, Anthropology, Social Welfare, Journalism, Public Administration, Political science, initiatives to introduce formal, informal and technical educations for them, create opportunity for higher studies in Bangladesh Open University.
- Employment opportunity:
Create employment opportunity and arrange training on Technical Skills (TVET), Explore new and creative opportunity for Hijra community and effective strategies to involve in the program and better livelihood, introduce quota system to bring equality, create quota system to enroll Hijra in educational institutes, initiate quota for Hijra in Govt. services, reserve seats for Hijra in public transport, etc.
- Campaign and Advocacy programs
The radio programs are also focused on mass awareness, launch special programs with family members of the Hijra that will help to them to treat their children (adapted) as like as others, sensitize the guru of Hijra about the culture, norms and values of the society that will help the society to change their views towards Hijra community, create opportunity by the government, private sector and NGO to create better livelihood options, arrange more awareness program on gender diversity, support those CBOs/NGOs who are constantly working on capacity building programs for Hijra community.
- Confirmation of Identity
Radio campaign aims to inspire local authority to arrange social mapping and Hijra census for appropriate and effective initiatives, Secure Safety Net program in all districts and Upazilas level of Bangladesh. Besides, the program also creating positive image and involvement of Hijra in Ministry of Social Welfare and National Social Protection Strategy (NSPS), programs increasing budget for improving livelihood of the Hijras under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Ensure the funeral performance after death as a part of rituals, initiatives to protect the thousands years of Hijra culture.
Operational Management
BNNRC is responsible for the overall management, coordination; monitoring and reporting of the project. A coordinator on behalf of BNNRC coordinates the project in field level operation, materials development, monitoring radio program broadcasting and listeners’ reactions, and reporting, and also visit the radios frequently to monitor program implementation and provides necessary feedback to the team on a regular basis.
Examples of linkages between the WSIS Action Line and the SDGs:
The project directly links with SDG 10 and Action line C8 (Cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity and local content). The goals are as follows:
The implication of the SDGs especially SDG 10 in this context is yet to be defined in order to combat the factors causing the Hijra community’s extreme social exclusion. For a start, the identification of the various barriers – economic, cultural, environmental, political and social – they face must be recognized. This recognition must go hand in hand with appropriate and targeted public provisions for Hijras living in rural Bangladesh in line with community/ family based rehabilitation rather than ignorance.
- By 2030, progressively achieve and sustain income growth of the bottom 40 per cent of the population at a rate higher than the national average
- By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status
- Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices and promoting appropriate legislation, policies and action in this regard
- Adopt policies, especially fiscal, wage and social protection policies, and progressively achieve greater equality
- Improve the regulation and monitoring of global financial markets and institutions and strengthen the implementation of such regulations
- Ensure enhanced representation and voice for developing countries in decision-making in global international economic and financial institutions in order to deliver more effective, credible, accountable and legitimate institutions
- Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies
- Implement the principle of special and differential treatment for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, in accordance with World Trade Organization agreements
- Encourage official development assistance and financial flows, including foreign direct investment, to States where the need is greatest, in particular least developed countries, African countries, small island developing States and landlocked developing countries, in accordance with their national plans and programs
- By 2030, reduce to less than 3 per cent the transaction costs of migrant remittances and eliminate remittance corridors with costs higher than 5 per cent
The above targets comply with the objectives of this project which aim to increase the number of skill English language professionals among rural youth who will acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development.
The project directly contributes and relates to C8: Promote lifelong learning opportunities for all and raise awareness of Hijra community on their rights. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for Hijra community. The focus of the action line C8 includes equipping people with the competencies and to meet up the growing need for acquiring knowledge in the use of community radio and Social Media, capacity building interventions focusing on the development and promotion of programs more professionally through media.
Empowering communities in ICT use and promoting the production of useful and socially meaningful content is a capacity-building intervention that can increase scientific knowledge and promote innovation and research.
Highlights of the project’s partnership activities:
BNNRC is the main implementing partner while Bandhu Social Welfare Society (BSWS) has provided technical and financial assistance in the implementation of the project. The project started with 15 community radio in 2018. BNNRC has made a partnership cooperation agreement with those community radio stations. BNNRC team has conducted capacity assessment of those stations and provided skill development training to them. Now the trained-up staff are involved in producing radio programs at station level using local dialect independently.
At present, more than 6.8 million listeners actively listening with approximately 1,000,000 are tunings in as regular listeners. Youth (male and female) are the primary audience with a significant secondary audience of community people.
Challenges and future perspectives for the project:
Presently, 15 community radio stations have been broadcasting right-based Hijra related Radio programs with the technical support and guidance of BNNRC. The program becomes popular gradually and effective and on-demand radio program to the community.
Replicablity
Human Rights in Development of Gender Diverse Population through Community Radios in Bangladesh is a community based on-demand project. The project has been implementing through the engagement of listeners, local media, social media users and community media broadcasters for developing and broadcasting radio episodes. So the project is replicable all over the world where Radio waves and Social Media (SM) is available and functioning. The project activities can be run by the trained up local community broadcasters. Hence, the local radio broadcasters and Social Media users need capacity building training to upgrade their skills so that they can run the program locally without external support.
Sustainability
In this era of Forth Industrial Revolution (4IR) and rapid change of global context, Radio program becomes a tool to reach wider audiences for building awareness on human rights towards reducing inequalities of the society. So the hard to reach and untouched rural audiences especially the youths need to know about the rights of Hijra community and let them free from the social man-created obstacles. Hence Community Radio can play a vital role to make the people aware to minimize the discrimination of the society and for coping with the competitive global challenges collectively. As the radio and social media is the most popular media, cheaper, portable and easy accessible so with the contribution of the community the program could be run to remove the social barriers and stigma.
Views on WSIS Stocktaking and Prizes contest:
WSIS Stocktaking and Prize will be an inspiring model to the community media practitioners of Bangladesh as well as in different parts of the world. The winning of the prize will be inspiring to our future broadcasters and policy-makers too.
About: BNNRC
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication represents the community media sector to Government, Industry, Regulatory Bodies, Media, Social Media and Development Partners.
BNNRC has been struggling for the last 20 years to open up the community media (including Community Radio, Community Television and Social Media) and giving focus on its vital role as voices of the voiceless rural people. The reality of today is that the bondage between the community people and local-level community radio stations are getting strengthened day-by-day. Community Radio has now become part of life and livelihood.