The UNFPA, the sexual and reproductive health agency, has opened a new women friendly space in the Rohingya refugee camp in Cox’s Bazar.
The UN agency said it was done in collaboration with the Local Engineering Department of the Government of Bangladesh and funded by the World Bank and implemented by Mukti Cox’s Bazar.
The women friendly space is called in Rohingya dialect Shanti Khana, a peaceful haven for many thousands of girls and women in the refugee camps of Cox’s Bazar.
Located in Camp 15, around 5,000 women and girls will have free access to recreational activities, such as henna making, painting, drawing, hand-stitching and sewing, as well as gender-based violence awareness-raising sessions and
distribution of life-saving dignity kits, containing soaps, washing powder, slippers, cloths, panties, sanitary pads and hand sanitizers for COVID-19 protection and prevention.
“Grateful to the World Bank for its support, providing a place of peace, relief and support to the refugee women, UNFPA believes that the Partnership with the Local Government Engineering Department is unique and an excellent one, allowing the marriage of hardware and software in a place where needed the most,” Dr. Eiko Narita, UNFPA Bangladesh Representative said.
“As of now, there are nine operational Women Friendly Spaces, and with this funding, two additional ones have been made possible. We have another four pending in construction and for this, LGED’s support in approval would be crucial,” she emphasised.
“We welcome the opening of another space, whose function will be for women to learn about their rights, develop their skills and share their feelings, away from the eyes of men, who will not be allowed in this space,” Bimal Chandra Dey Sarker, Chief Executive of Mukti Cox’s Bazar, shared.
With a double function, the new Shanti Khana will provide case management services for gender-based violence survivors, referral pathways to specialised health interventions, midwifery and family planning services, as well as mental health and psychosocial support.
Secondly, it will be a place for capacity building of NGOs case workers, as well as effective community mobilization through men, boys and Imams (religious leaders) engagement in preventing gender-based violence.
“Women play an integral part in the economy and in the community. They know how their community works and, if given chances and opportunities, they can actively participate and contribute to a world free of gender-based violence,” Arjun Jain, Principal Coordinator of the UN Inter Sector Coordination Group (ISCG) in Cox’s Bazar said.
UNFPA thanks the government of Bangladesh, the RRRC office- the Refugee Relief and Repatriation Office, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs for their active engagement and cooperation.
UNFPA leads the GBV Sub Sector in Cox’s Bazar and it has 32 established Women Friendly Spaces (24 in the refugee settings and 8 in the host community) and 10 Women-Led Community Centers (8 in the refugee settings, 2 in the host community).
