Geographical area covered: According to the TIP reports, Bangladesh is a source country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking. Among these few border area districts are most vulnerable like Jashore, Narail, Jhenaidha and Kustia. Jashore and Narail districts are situated in the Southwestern part of Bangladesh and these are one of the highest human trafficking prone districts in the country. Jashore is adjacent to the Indian border, and it is mainly used by traffickers as a transit route of human trafficking. Chronic poverty, unemployment, large-scale rural-urban migration and recurrent natural disasters are some major problems faced by the people of these districts. Sex and labor trafficking are very common phenomenon of this area’s context.

In this context, the project will work in four unions of Jashore and Narail districts where in the last year of the project worked in the same area and formed Counter Traffic Women Forum (CTWF) as community-based initiative to combat human trafficking. The following table shows the project area of this project.

Beneficiaries: The direct beneficiaries of the project are the vulnerable women and children of the 4 unions under 2 operational districts who are trafficking survivors and at risk of being trafficked and also victims of violence against women and children.

• Trafficking survivors
• Potential victims of trafficking
• Victims of gender-based violence

Project Duration: 12 Months (January 2023 to December 2023)

Key activities:

• Conduct half yearly follow-up meeting with CTWF members for strengthening their capacity to prevent human trafficking and violence against women and girls
• Organize Street drama & folk songs for raising awareness on human trafficking and safe migration.
• Organize 40 courtyard meetings for awareness rising with the Vulnerable Women and Children at community level including CTWF members.
• Organize 20 orientation sessions with students at School level on the issue of human trafficking by CTWF.
• Collaboration meeting with India part government and non-government Shelter homes and NGOs to expedite repatriation process.
• Fact finding of human trafficking and other cases of violence against women and children.
• Rescue, Repatriation and Reintegration of human trafficking survivors from India and other countries.
• Provide livelihood support to the vulnerable human trafficking survivors from the project area.
• Provide legal assistance for the victims of human trafficking.
• Operations of Rights Jessore Hotline Service.
• Quarterly meeting with Ministry of Home Affairs/ RRRI Task Force Cell/GO-NGO Coordination Meeting / NGOAB coordination in Dhaka.

Outputs:

1. Four Counter Traffic Women’s Forums (CTWF) are functioning under 04 unions of 02 project districts to combat human trafficking.
2. Around 2000 women and children are aware and motivated to work against human trafficking and violence against women and girls.
3. Around 1600 students are aware on human trafficking at school level in project area
4. Community people have increased their understanding on human trafficking and safe migration issues.

Donor: BONO Direct Aid Association & Chance Swiss