Staff Reporter :
UN Women, Oxfam, and MUKTI jointly opened a new Multi-Purpose Women Center recently, which will provide knowledge, recreation, community interaction, primary health support and other services for women and girls at Whykong Union Parishad, Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar.
“This is great initiative but to make it functional, participation of relevant government departments and engaging the communities is a must, especially local women leaders. The impact of this center needs to be tracked, followed up and shown in comparison of other areas where there is no such center,” Cox’s Bazar District Commissioner, Md. Mamunur Rashid said in his inaugural speech.
Cox’s Bazar District Commissioner inaugurated the center on 28th December 2021, Tuesday morning which is situated beside Whykong Union Parishad in Teknaf Upazila. Among others UN Women Head of Cox’s Bazar Flora Macula, Oxfam Interim Country Director Enamul Mazid Khan Siddique, NGO Mukti Cox’s Bazar Chief Executive Bimal Chandra Dey Sarker, Oxfam Head of Operations Ashutosh Dey were present at the inaugural programme.
The Multi-Purpose Women’s Center offers the community a safe entry point for life-saving services-from psychosocial support and paramedic support (including gender-based violence referrals) to education and livelihoods opportunities. Within the first year of operation, the center is projected to support roughly 8,000 women and girls. It can also be converted into a shelter during cyclones or other disasters.
“We want to give women more opportunities to improve their lives by providing them with various services, strengthening their capacities, and allowing them to participate in decision making.” says Flora Macula, UN Women Head of Sub-Office Cox’s Bazar.The Multi-Purpose Women Center is established as part of UN Women’s Project-“Means to help Rohingya refugee and host community women through leadership, learning and livelihoods” in collaboration with Oxfam and MUKTI with generous support from the Government of Sweden.
“The center is a safe space for women and girls, as well as a one-stop hub for information and services. This is a unique opportunity for the community of Whykong – to set an example for the rest of Bangladesh and to be a pioneer in comprehensive empowerment of women and the society” said Enamul Mazid Khan Siddique, Interim Country Director of Oxfam in Bangladesh.
