Strengthening SRHR and GVB Prevention in Host Communities of Cox’s Bazar

The project aims to provide equitable sexual and reproductive health care and respond to gender-based violence (GBV) for people living in local communities of Cox’s Bazar impacted by the influx of over 740,000 Rohingya refugees since August 2017. Cox’s Bazar is one of Bangladesh’s poorest and most vulnerable districts, with poverty well above the country’s national average. The influx of Rohingya has increased economic tensions and competition for scarce resources, including jobs and income among the Rohingya and the existing Bangleshi communities where the refugees are camped, as well as having a serious impact on local infrastructure and services. This situation is particularly difficult for women and children who are the most vulnerable. The project works to improve the accessibility to GBV and psychosocial services in public health facilities and women-friendly spaces for survivors of GBV. Project activities include: (1) increasing awareness and use of services by survivors through outreach activities; (2) building the self-reliance skills of 4,000 women with information on their sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), functional numeracy and literacy skills, nutrition and core life skills; (3) engaging 30,000 community members through implementing, for the first time in Bangladesh, the SASA! (Start, Awareness, Support, Action) community mobilization strategy for raising awareness and preventing GBV; and (4) developing a community-based GBV response and prevention program, including engagement with men and boys for their role in protecting families and communities from GBV. Benefiting over 500,000 women and girls, the project supports the Bangladeshi Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in: (1) strengthening public health facilities to provide high-quality midwifery and emergency obstetric care; (2) increasing the availability of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, including family planning, contraception and treatment of STIs and HIV; and (3) developing training materials and providing training for health care providers on GBV response and treatment of survivors.