Demand for Women-Friendly Cyclone Shelters Submitted to Barguna DC
Women from Barguna submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner outlining eight demands, including the provision of separate safe spaces, safe drinking water, usable toilets, adequate lighting, and security measures in women-friendly cyclone shelters.
Initiated by JAGO NARI’s “Women Lead in Emergencies” (WLiE) project—with support from CARE Bangladesh and funding from AFD (Agence Française de Développement)—the memorandum was presented on behalf of 20 women’s groups.
On September 20, 2026, approximately 240 representatives from the 20 women’s groups—formed under the WLiE project in Chhotobogi, Patharghata Sadar, and Ayla-Patakata unions—presented the memorandum at the Barguna Deputy Commissioner’s office. During the event, members of the women’s groups honored the Deputy Commissioner by presenting a ceremonial scarf and a bouquet of flowers. The groups put forward the following eight demands aimed at ensuring women’s safety, rights, livelihoods, disaster management, and meaningful participation in local decision-making.
The demands are:
1. Safe Cyclone Shelters: Ensuring separate safe spaces, safe drinking water, usable toilets, adequate lighting, and security measures in women-friendly cyclone shelters.
2. Participation in Decision-Making: Ensuring women’s meaningful participation in various committees and decision-making processes at the Union, Upazila, and District levels.
3. Access to Services and Livelihood Opportunities: Ensuring easy, transparent, and non-discriminatory access for women to public and private services, training, allowances, social safety nets, and livelihood-based support.
4. Safe Drinking Water: Taking initiatives to install deep tube wells, Pond Sand Filters (PSF), and other sustainable water supply systems as needed.
5. Safe Connectivity: Ensuring safe movement by repairing and constructing key roads connecting villages, unions, and cyclone shelters.
6. Recognition of Female Fishers: Issuing fisher identity cards to eligible female fishers and bringing them under the ambit of government assistance and livelihood opportunities.
7. Women’s Representation in Local Committees: Including women—particularly marginalized women—in relevant committees, such as Standing Committees and Upazila Disaster Management Committees.
8. Institutional recognition for WLiE women’s groups: Ensuring the continuation of the groups’ activities and taking necessary measures for their institutional recognition and registration.
Members of the women’s groups emphasized that women must be recognized not merely as recipients of aid, but as partners in planning, decision-making, and leadership. They called for necessary initiatives to be undertaken in coordination with relevant government departments and local government institutions to realize these demands.
The memorandum submission ceremony was attended by Barguna Deputy Commissioner Ms. Taslima Akter; Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Animesh Biswas; Barguna Press Club General Secretary Abu Jafar Saleh; former President Advocate Sohel Hafiz; JAGO NARI Executive Director Hosne Ara Hasi; members of the 20 WLiE project women’s groups; and representatives from the media and civil society.
The Deputy Commissioner received the memorandum from the women’s groups and extended her best wishes to the members.
//JN NwesRoom/20092026//
Published on: Sunday, 20 September 2026, 09:44 pm ▪ Last update: Sunday, 20 September 2026, 09:49 pm ▪ Total View of this Page: 19
