Launched: 2003

Funded by: UNDP

Safer Cities is since 2002 collaborating with the Local Partnership for Urban Poverty Alleviation Project in Bangladesh, funded by UNDP and executed by UN-HABITAT. The Project is based on the premises that urban poor, especially women, can break away from the vicious cycle of poverty if they are empowered and supported by Government, Local Governments and NGOs. The project is implemented in 11 locations across the country.

Development

With women as one key target, the project has started to analyze the impact of gender issues and of gender violence on women capacities and opportunities for a meaningful participation in community development. Safer Cities was therefore involved to assist in developing a gender violence and access to legal services for women in the communities.

Activities

After a series of workshop and action planning activities, Safer Cities in collaboration with the project management has developed a 'Community Safety' component, which seeks to address gender violence through access to legal services, sensitization and debate on cultural dimensions of gender violence, as well as building capacities for communities to assess and respond to violence through prevention. The component is also targeting men and their perceptions and behaviors. Collaboration with the state institutions in charge of security and with Local Government will focus on developing their response capacity in support of communities' efforts.