A volunteer Sufia Akhter

“Sufia Akter wants to serve to establish the rights and women dignity”

Sabalamby Unnayan Samity (SUS) is implementing ‘Women Empowerment and Gender Justice through Representation, Recognition Redistribution project’ in Singher Bangla union under Netrakona sadar upazila for creating an enabling environment to access in education, health, economic activities, and political arena of women; so that they could be empowered. SUS has been also providing legal support to the poor deprived women and children in the society. Women empowerment project formed different groups to make these activities sustainable. Sufia Akhter is an inhabitant of Shimuljani village of Shingher Bangla union. She is the president of Village Women Group as well as Union Women Group. As regular activities of VWG, they identified their problem in the group meeting and prioritize the problems.  The main problem in their area is child marriage, sexual harassment, drug addiction, gambling and violence against women. Sufia Akter is a dedicated social worker, she informed about different rights based issues and laws on women empowerment. She observed that women are suffering in the different sector in the society- she saw that when women abused in the society the social leaders resolved it through mediation. Most of the time, when the male mediator involves in the mediation/shalishi, they don’t give the opportunity to express the opinion of women victim. In some cases, the decision is imposed on women. Form the learning of women group; she is continuously attending the arbitration /shalishi. She expresses her thought according to the merits of arbitration.

If an incident happened in her locality like early marriage, sexual harassment, violence against women, then villagers inform Sufia Akte at first. After receiving the complaint, she informs another member of her group and conduct fact findings. If the issue is in the jurisdiction of arbitration/shalishi, then she arranges arbitration with the assistance of other members and solves the problem with the help of other arbitrators. If it is not then she takes the step to send it to the court and police station. Chairman of Singher Bangla Union Parishad informed about Sufia Akter. He invites and involves her in different work of women related issues and in this way she has become popular in her locality and Women Group member is becoming inspired to work like Sufia Akhter. Even chairman of this union said that he also get inspiration from Sufia Akter. Kokila Akter, Beauty Akter, Moyna Akter have been inspired from Sufia Akhter. They are also participating actively in Shalishi.

Sufia Akhter got training on gender-responsive mediation/Salish, leadership development, laws, rights and gender issues from ‘Women Empowerment and Gender Justice through Representation, Recognition Redistribution project’ and she participated in different types of the gender-related seminar and Worksop which have been arranged by SUS. By participating in these kinds of skill development training and workshop, she becomes skill on women related laws and issues. If any arbitration happens in her area, other arbitrators invite her. The police department also helps her positively.

Shimuljani village is one of the areas where drug addiction, child marriage, sexual abuse, violence against women was very high. Sufia and members of women group of Shimuljani village have protested strongly to stop these types of criminal activities.  She can coordinate with different groups very well. She is playing a vital role and relentlessly working in the society to reduce violence against women, child marriage, and others social problems and encouraging women for savings if they become solvent in the family. She thinks, without economical solvency, nobody will gain the power.

Sufia keeps effective communication with the chairman of UP. Recently an incident happened in her locality. One woman was bitten by her husband. Villagers primarily informed the UP chairman then UP Chairman make a phone call to Sufia Akhter. After knowing the fact she acted promptly. They surrounded the adjacent house ‍and the abuser man escapes from the house. She wants to serve to establish the rights and women dignity.