Summary:

Nari Unnayan Shakti came into being in 1992 with a specific strategy to strengthen and mainstream women's development issues at the policy level and to reduce violence against women at the roots level. At present NUS is serving more 50000 disadvantaged families through 115 Centers in 9 districts in Bangladesh.

Services for the sexually abused/exploited trafficked victims

Presently NUS is running 2 shelter homes for the trafficked and sexually abused/exploited children. They are supported by DSS, UNDP, ILO and MOWCA. Since 1994, NUS has rescued 129 girls from traffickers and sex traders/madams/pimps and rehabilitated as well as reintegrated them in the community. The main activities under the project are rescue, health care, trauma reduction and behaviour change counseling, legal aid, vocational training (tailoring, garments training, embroidery, salesgirl training, computer operating) formal and non formal education. The homes provide boarding facilities, crèche, focus group discussions and recreational facilities. NUS carries out mass awareness campaigns for prevention and policy advocacy for mainstreaming the issue.

In the year 2000 NUS started a Capacity Building Project for Street Based Commercial Sex Workers (CSWs) and their 70 children of Badda, Gulshan, Uttara, Cantonment and Kafrul thana areas of Dhaka City for social rehabilitation Department of Social Services. To date NUS has trained 450 BCSWs for alternative income generation, non-formal education and counseling. They are also provided with seed money to start new professions. The Drop in Centre is available to them during the day for resting, bathing and cooking.

Since August 2004, NUS has been running programmes for the Street Based Sex Workers, most of them trafficked victims. At present NUS is running three Drop in Centres in Chitagong and Borishal City to prevent HIV/AIDS (promotion and distribution of condoms, treatment of sexual transmitted diseases). They are supported by UNICEF and the National AIDS/STD Project.

In 1995 NUS started HIV/AIDS a Prevention Programme through setting up brothel based Drop in Centres in Kandupatti Brothel, English Road, Dhaka with the support of CIDA and provided services for two years. It was found that, 40% of Commercial Sex Workers were adolescent girls sold/trafficked to brothel sex traders.

NUS trained 330 children in Chitagong and 280 children in Dhaka city on sexual abuse/exploitation prevention. Trainers were experts on child to child approaches and were supported by the Ministry of Labour and Employment, USAID and FCHD. The children were also provided with non- formal education, vocational training and life skill education for developing them as self esteemed and self reliant citizens.

NUS has performed 296 cultural shows and 36 Orientation Workshops to create awareness on trafficking and AIDS prevention issues among 50,000 people in Dhaka, Chittagong, Kustia supported by FCHD, VHSS, BRAC, GK, UNICEF, and CIDA .

A total 400 community women in 32 slums of Dhaka City were trained as Peer Educator for AIDS, Trafficking and sexual Abuse prevention and since 1995 they are working in the community and referring the victims to NUS' shelter homes. The programme was supported by DFID.

Trafficking and sex abuse/exploitation issues were included in a seven day gender training in 20 batches funded by CIDA as well as in a day long training in 40 batches funded by UNICEF during 1993 to 1997 in Dhaka City.

Research and Case Study

NUS developed case studies of the non-commercial sexually abused girls in the slums, middle class and upper class residents of Dhaka City and village settings. Cases were included in the study of "Breaking the Silence" a movement for sex abuse prevention.

In the year 1994 NUS collected oral testimonies of the brothel children of Kandupatti, Old Dhaka City. The oral testimony was collected for the Forum for Culture and Human Development. The collected case studies were used for 5th Five Year Plan for MOWCA funded by UNICEF.

In 1997 NUS conducted a study titled "Psychological and social status of the brothel children" supported by SCF-UK. Children present life in the brothel as bleak, disgusting, harmful and with a dark future. Most of the children are molested by their mothers' clients.

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Organisation Contact Details:

Nari Unnayan Shakti
House # 35, Road # 4, Block E
Banashree, Rampura, Dhaka
Tel: + 880 82 70 253
Email: afrojnus@bdmail.net
Website:

Last updated 18/05/2005 03:23:59

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