Community Resilience through Women in Leadership Roles

Status
completed
100%
City

Dhaka

Main actors

NGO / Philanthropy, Community / Citizen Group

Project area

Neighborhood or district

Duration

2013 - 2015

A programme to provide women living in slums  leadership skills and risk reduction training.

Over many years,  slum settlements have been increasing in Dhaka city. Commencing in 1996, the Participatory Development Action Program (PDAP) has been working  in slum areas addressing issues such as basic education, primary health care, skills development training, adolescents’ awareness raising and women’s advocacy.  

Poor households and the women within slum communities are especially vulnerable as they are resonsible for care giving, and they lack  access to and control over resources and services. For example, their ability to increase their daily income, effecting food security, is impeded by concerns of eviction from their homes. While the High Court has declared that “Without rehabilitation, there will be no eviction”, slum dwellers are often forced to leave their shelters, without rehabilitation. 

To respond to these issues, the PDAP initiated an action plan to increase community resilience through Leadership building and disaster risk reduction training. The action plan was implemented in the slum of Bhola Bastee in Mirpur, Dhaka (Bangladesh). In twelve months, the action plan has reached 100 women.

Sustainable Development Goals

End poverty in all its forms everywhereEnsure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all agesEnsure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for allAchieve gender equality and empower all women and girlsBuild resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovationReduce inequality within and among countriesMake cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainablePromote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
City
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Size and population development
About 15 million inhabitants. Dhaka is one of the most rapidly growing and densely populated cities in the world.
Population composition
The majority of the population belongs to the Bengali Muslims community.
Main functions
Capital city; Dhaka has traditionally attracted a large number of migrant workers.
Main industries / business
The Greater Dhaka industrial area is a major hub of the Bangladesh textile industry. Other major sectors of the urban economy include: private education, healthcare, architecture, engineering and consultancy services.
Sources for city budget
Political structure
The city is runned by the Dhaka City Corporation which was divided into two administrative parts (Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka South City Corporation) in 2011. Both corporations are ruled by an administrator.
Administrative structure
Website
http://www.dncc.gov.bd/

The Participatory Development Action Program (PDAP) was launched on 6 March 1994. PDAP works with people whose lives are dominated by extreme poverty, illiteracy, disease and other environmental problems. With multifaceted development interventions, PDAP strives to bring about positive change in the quality of life for these people, especially women, adolescents and children. PDAP is committed to making its programs socially, financially and environmentally sustainable using new methods and technologies. PDAP is actively involved in promoting human rights, dignity and gender equity.

The slum dwellers living in Bhola Bastee in Mirpur, Dhaka (Bangladesh) come from different areas of the Barishal district. Due to river erosion they have lost their property, resources and shelter and are very poor. Most of them are Richshaw pullers, vegetable and fish sellers, garment workers or home workers.  

The Participatory Development Action Program has been engaged in the following activities:

  • Identification of challenges in the area through mapping and household survey;       
  • Training in leadership development skills;
  • Awareness raising activities on empowerment issues;
  • Teaching  the Local to Local methodolog;
  • Use of the Local to Local methodology within the community and at a national level workshop.

The organized groups received leadership training as well as disaster risk reduction training from the Participatory Development Action Program. PDAP also encouraged them to contact NGOs directly to address their problems. The groups' leaders contacted World Vision, DSK and the Association for Realisation of Basic Needs (ARBAN).

As a result, the NGO DSK provided some sanitation facilities.

Road repair requires permission from the local Member of Parliament, a group of women living in the slum area applied for permission for the work to be done by World Vision. World vision have organised the repair of the road by providing slabs of concrete to cover the open drains. 

Other NGOs have shared their experience with the Participatory Action Development Program.

Ms. Naseem Sheikh, member of the Senior Management Team of SSP India ("Empowering women as leaders and entrepreneurs"), came to the Participatory Development Action Program to share her experience with the program leaders. She said that in their area, Maharastra, they do everything through the community group members. She gave a power point presentation, explaining about the Community Practitioners Platform for resilience ("an organizing and networking mechanism connecting grassroots community based groups working to reduce their vulnerability to disaster and climate risks in rural and urban areas") and how they improved their community through this platform and are now self-sustainable. 

- Community Resilience through Women Leadership - A Case study on Bhola slum of Mirpur, Participatory Development Action Program

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Dhaka, Bangladesh

Quazi Baby

Individual | Executive Director
Dhaka, Bangladesh

Quazi Baby

Individual | Executive Director

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