{"id":1362,"date":"2016-08-20T11:40:16","date_gmt":"2016-08-20T11:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.csbronline.org\/?p=1362"},"modified":"2016-09-04T22:02:29","modified_gmt":"2016-09-04T22:02:29","slug":"bandhu-social-welfare-society-bangladesh-joins-csbr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/csbronline.org\/?p=1362","title":{"rendered":"Bandhu Social Welfare Society, Bangladesh, joins CSBR!"},"content":{"rendered":"

We are excited to welcome Bandhu Social Welfare Society (BSWS) in \"Bandhu-Logo-2\"<\/a>Bangladesh as a new member of the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies (CSBR)!<\/p>\n

Over the last year, we’ve had the pleasure of connecting more closely and learning from BSWS about their outreach, capacity-building, social organizing and advocacy efforts on issues such as youth sexual health, legal aid & education, as well as sexual and reproductive health rights across Bangladesh.
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

In October 2015, Shale Ahmed\u00a0joined CSBR’s panel on “Strengths & Challenges of LGBTI Organizing in Muslim Societies”, a first of its kind session at the ILGA-Asia conference in Taipei, Taiwan.<\/p>\n

\"Shale_2CSBR-ILGAAsia\"
Shale Ahmed: “Recognition of Hijra as Third Gender in Bangladesh” at ILGA-Asia 2015<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Shale Ahmed profiled the work that Bandhu has been doing to\u00a0ensure Hijra\u00a0access to education, health and housing rights,\u00a0since the landmark 2011 decision\u00a0by the government of Bangladesh officially acknowledging the Hijra\u2019s as third gender. The presentation focused on the strategies and challenges of engaging\u00a0institutional mechanisms–such as the National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh, drafting national Anti-Discrimination Legislation, and reporting at the UN Universal Periodic Review–to monitor progress & effect long-term change at the national level.<\/p>\n

View Shale Ahmed’s presentation here: ShaleAhmed_HjraRights_CSBR-ILGAAsia2015<\/a>, and read\u00a0more about\u00a0Bandhu’s work below.<\/p>\n

\"Bandhu_Logo\"
\nBandhu Social Welfare Society (Bandhu)<\/strong> started its journey in 1996, and works\u00a0toward the well-being of sexual minorities by facilitating sexual and reproductive health services and supporting human rights, dignity and livelihoods of their choices.<\/p>\n

Bandhu Social Welfare Society envisions a Bangladesh where every person, irrespective of their gender and sexuality, is able to lead a quality life with dignity, human rights and social justice.<\/p>\n


\nMain Activities & Projects<\/strong><\/p>\n

Current Programmatic activities:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Community strengthening and mobilizing to more effectively engage in governance, policy and service delivery<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n