This presentation was made by Mahmud Hasan for the Bangladesh Steering Committee meeting held on May 12, 2014. The presentation highlights key progresses of Best School for Girls Campaign in Bangladesh.

1. Mahmud Hasan
Country Engagement Coordinator, Bangladesh
Monday, May 11, 2014
WGLG Bangladesh
Steering Committee Meeting

2. Women and Girls Lead Global
- Bangladesh Status
• Key Focus: Prevention of Child Marriage and Keeping Girls at School
• Campaign Strategy: Best School for Girls Award
• Implementing Partners:
1. National Girl Child Advocacy Forum
2. Agrogoti Sangstha
3. Dnet
4. World Vision Bangladesh
5. CARE Bangladesh (implementing soon)
6. BRAC (implementing soon)
• Geographical Focus (178 Schools in 10 locations)
1. Patnitala, Naogaon – 50 Schools
2. Gangni, Meherpur – 29 Schools
3. Sathkhira Sadar – 22 Schools
4. Assasuni, Sathkhria – 9 Schools
5. Kaliganj, Sathkhira – 14 Schools
6. Shyamnagar, Sathkhira - 12 Schools
7. Tala, Satkhira – 10 Schools
8. Khulna City Corporation - 14 Schools
9. Sariakandi, Bogra – 8 Schools
10. Kulaura, Moulvibazar – 10 Schools

3. Best School for Girls Campaign
- Strong and Diverse Partnership is the key
Lead in Patnitala (50 Schools) and Gangni (29 Schools)
•Engage youth activists
•Engage Upazilla Administration
Lead in Sadar (16 Schools), Tala (10 Schools), Kaliganj (14
Schools) and Shyamnagar (12 Schools)
• Science club projects in schools
• Girls Club at schools
Lead in Kulaura (10 Schools), Sariakandi (8 Schools)
• Engage Infolady
•Strong local NGO partner
Lead in Khulna (14 Schools), Sathkhira Sadar (6 Schools) and
Assasuni (9 Schools)
•Engage Child Forum
•Engage SIP program school teachers
Lead in Sunamganj
•Engage staffs and local partner in 3 Upazillas
Location to be defined
•Engage with MEJNIN program
National and Global level support
•Host WGLG event at Rangpur
•Host event in DC

4. WGLG Approaches
building a team of advocates “WGLG Facilitator”1
WGLG Facilitators are leading the campaign at Schools
We have trained 249 WGLG Facilitators on Use of Films to inspire changes

5. WGLG Approaches
2 Screen Women of the World films about child marriage (in
classrooms and/or after school interventions) to raise awareness
about the damaging effects of child marriage and keep girls at
school.
Parents – helping them
see the negative effects
of child marriage and the
benefits of investing in
girls’ education
Young Girls (and
boys)– helping develop
the confidence and
access the resources
they need to attend
school and delay
marriage
Teachers, SMCs and
local influencials-to
make schools violence-
free and to support
girls’ school attendance

6. WGLG Approaches
3 Call for action to take initiatives for BEST SCHOOL FOR GIRLS.
Best School
for Girls
Signage
Best School
for Girls
Indicators
Self-
assessment
Action
Event
Calendar

7. Sign of Changes
 One school assigns teachers in different bus routes with girls, so that girls don’t travel alone;
 Girls in one school at Sathkhira first spoke about their safe school way to their teacher.
 One school at Sathkhira open-up complaint box at their school so that girls can submit their complaints.
 One school at Gangni took initiative to bring drop-out children back to school and call parents for special
meeting
started special coaching
class for girls
Teachers trains girls how
to run bicycle
Girls bringing lunch box
Girls economic club
New girl’s toilet built Girl committee forms even
at Madrasha

8. Sign of Changes
 Like Chumki, more than 10,000 students commits that they will not marry
before 18.
“After this event I came to learn that
girls have their own dignity and
have a right to get established in
their lives.”
-Chumke Khatun, Kazipur, Bangladesh

9. Local Content and Tools to support the Campaign
•ITVS launched 10 films titled Women of
the World and dubbed in Bangla
•3 films are dubbed especially for this
campaign
•New 10 films are coming in year 2
• Released Bangla discussion
guides on how to use films in
the campaign.
•Engagement Tools

10. Local Content and Tools to support the Campaign
 Women of the World films connect people in a way telling challenges, hope,
deprivations etc. are not only in his/her family or community. It is everywhere
in the world. For many people this is first experience watching such films. Film
seems like solidarity and give strengths.
• Common in all parents “We are poor and so marrying of our daughters to safe
her”. Don’t believe that marrying off is not a solution.
• Teacher, considered most influential, usually don’t have clear understanding
about their potential. So, felt to find some role model teachers who set
examples for other teachers.
• Thus we have started working on two (2) local content pieces:
• Shooting ended in Patnitala
• Both are in post production
Inner strength Tale of a School

11. Key Issues
1. Improving support for Schools
2. Increasing the outreach
3. Local level policy advocacy
4. Media engagement
5. Inclusion of government

12. Thank you
Suggestion and Questions
mahmud_hasan@itvs.org
www.facebook.com/WGLGBangladesh