UNFPA, ILO to combat gender-based violence in Bangladesh

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ILO and UNFPA in Dhaka Wednesday by ILO Country Director for Bangladesh and Argentina Srinivas B. Reddy, and the Representative of UNFPA in Bangladesh Matavel Piccin. The two organisations agreed to strengthen their collaboration in the country, particularly regarding efforts to combat sexual and gender-based violence, as well as to increase awareness of sexual and reproductive health and rights. UN Resident Coordinator Robert Watkins and Chief of Mission Sarat Das of IOM Dhaka were also present during the ceremony. The MoU will guide both agencies to collaborate on matters of common interest under the United Nations Development Assistance Framework for Bangladesh and the Sustainable Development Goals, said Asma Akhter, National Programme Officer, UNFPA Bangladesh. The partnership between the two UN Agencies would in particular work to ensure that workplaces are free of sexual and gender-based violence while also being more supportive of the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls, she added. UNFPA has worked with the BGMEA in the past, as well as with several ready-made garment factories to provide sexual and reproductive health services and training on how to respond to and prevent gender-based violence. The majority of employees in the ready-made garment industry are women. In the past, factories did not provide the adequate infrastructure and services to ensure that the sexual and reproductive needs of their employees were met.