The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh on Tuesday handed over the grant decision for the project ‘Shomotay Tarunno: Youth for Equality’ to Plan International Bangladesh and Jaago Foundation.
The event was adorned by Thijs Woudstra, Charge d ’Affairs of the Netherlands Embassy, Jolly Nur Haque, director of Program Development and Learning of Plan International Bangladesh, Korvi Rakshand, president of Jaago Foundation and relevant officials from the two organisations and the Embassy, read a press release.
During the next four years (2024-2027), the initiative will address negative gender stereotypes which hinder equality between women, men and gender-diverse people in Bangladeshi society. Shomotay Tarunno will follow a youth-centred and media-focused approach where young people in all their diversities will be supported to safely exercise and promote equal rights.
Media in all its perspectives will be involved to render a positive twist to gender norms projection to create awareness among the mass population.
The project is engrained in the four Rs of feminist principles and will contribute to Rights; Representation; Resources; and Reality check. Youth and community members will ensure that the project activities are implemented in a way that is most appropriate to the local context.
The media and marketing play an important role in the socialization of gender norms among citizens.
However, the media, sometimes misrepresent reality by misrepresenting girls, women and the gender-diverse population of the country. The existence of harmful and discriminatory gender stereotypes portrayed by traditional media, or social media, has increased victimisation. General population - are usually constricted by stereotypes and are socially penalised if they act outside their traditional gender roles.
Plan International and Jaago Foundation along with other consortium partners will work to amplify the rights, representation and resources of young people at all levels and lobby/advocate with all types of media to combat harmful gender stereotypes and create a more equal society where every citizen may exercise their human rights at its fullest.
