The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched a new women friendly space for the local people of Ukhiya, Cox’s Bazar who host over 1.1 million Rohingya refugees.
In collaboration with the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) of the government of Bangladesh, the new Women Friendly Space (WFS) was launched as part of the Emergency Multi-Sector Rohingya Response Project.
This WFS will serve 6,500 women and girls from the host community of Ukhiya Upazila, Haldiapalong Union, Sikdarpara village in Cox’s Bazar, UNFPA said.
Funded by the World Bank, the WFS is a safe space, locally known as “Shanti Khana” where women and girls can socialize, re-build, and strengthen their social networks, and receive social support, information and services relating to women's health and reproductive rights.
“Thanks to our generous donor, the World Bank, in collaboration with LGED, UNFPA is scaling up services for women and girls from the host communities, as well as the Rohingya. The place where we are gathered today will be essential to integrate sexual and reproductive health services and to strengthen gender-based violence response services for women and girls at risk. The space will include the most vulnerable and marginalized women, adolescents, girls and youth as active contributors to the empowerment and wellbeing of their communities,” said Roselidah Raphael, Head of the UNFPA Sub-office in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh.
Representatives from the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs, the Inter-Sector Coordination Group (ISCG), and the NGO’s Mukti Cox’s Bazar and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) were also in attendance.
“Every day, hundreds of girls in Bangladesh are married off before they reach adulthood. Being forced to child marriage often leads these girls to drop out of school or to stop work, thus reducing their opportunities in life” Javed Karim, Project Coordinator of the LGED affirmed.
Shamsud Douza, Deputy Secretary of the Additional Refugee Relief and Repatriation Commissioner (RRRC), said “to increase awareness and knowledge about civil rights, we welcome this WFS and the further expansion of these spaces for women and girls. This is a space where women and girls can openly talk, share their problems, feelings and thoughts.”
The United Nations umbrella in Cox’s Bazar also participated in the event, the Intersector Coordination group (ISCG), expressed their appreciation for the opening of the new WFS.
“Recognising that the COVID-19 pandemic has increased safety and security risks and has particularly exacerbated pre-existing gendered risks, these women friendly spaces are more essential than ever”, said Talukder Abu Naim, field coordinator of ISCG, congratulating the work of UNFPA, donors and partners.
