Plan International BD join hands with GP to empower 4.5 lakh marginalised youth
To contribute to the vision of transforming Bangladesh into a smart Bangladesh by 2041, international development organisation Plan International Bangladesh and connectivity partner to Digital Bangladesh, Grameenphone have started a joint initiative to reach 23 lakh people from the most marginalised community of the country with the training on digital literacy and online safety.
According to a press release, 4.5 lakh young individuals, with a focus on young women, will receive direct training and support among the targeted population.
The “Safe Digital Space for Girls and Youth” project officially launched on Sunday, February 5th with a discussion program held at a hotel in Dhaka. State Minister of Social Welfare, Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru, MP, served as the chief guest. In the event Director General of the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education, Professor Nehal Ahmed, Executive Director of CAMPE and former advisor of the Caretaker Government Rasheda K Chowdhury, Grameenphone CEO Yasir Azman, Country Director of Plan International Bangladesh Kabita Bose, and Hans Martin Hoegh Henrichsen, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Grameenphone were present.
According to Yasir Azman, CEO of Grameenphone, the company views itself as a responsible business and a connectivity partner that aims to empower communities through digital literacy and online safety. The company has been working to educate children about online safety since 2014 and to train people from all backgrounds to help achieve the goal of a “Smart Bangladesh.” In an era of rapid digitalization, providing safe internet access to all citizens, including marginalized communities, is crucial for the country’s long-term success and sustainable development. The partnership with Plan International reflects Grameenphone’s commitment to ensuring that everyone has access to information and technology and to support the country in reaching its full potential.
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Kabita Bose, Country Director of Plan International Bangladesh, stated, “As we put our strength and focus on the country’s youth bulge, we aim to continue our contribution together to the development of an equitable society empowering children and young people as drivers of systematic change, hence ensuring digital knowledge, tools and power in their hand to challenge prevailing harmful gender norms and power relationships.”
“Governments and society as a whole need to come forward to create the enabling digital environment for the most marginalised communities of the country, ensure technological skills and resources to reduce the digital gap and create safe digital space for all, especially girls and young people.”, added Bose.
Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru, MP and State Minister of the Ministry of Social Welfare, stated, “Although we have progressed a lot in terms of creating Digital Bangladesh, we all need to extend our hands and join hands to create a smart Bangladesh. This partnership is a great initiative towards the movement.”
Rasheda K Chowdhury, Executive Director of CAMPE and former advisor to the caretaker government, gave a speech at the event. She said “Not only missed out or left out, there are communities which are ‘pushed out’ and this partnership of Grameenphone and Plan International Bangladesh is a milestone for all of us that we are trying to address the needs of these pushed out communities such as transgender, tea workers, special children and so on.”
Grameenphone recognizes that connectivity can help to bridge inequalities and has been building an ecosystem to support this goal. Since 2014, it has been promoting safer digital engagement by raising awareness and providing individuals with the skills they need to succeed in the digital realm. The organization is fully committed to this cause and actively promotes a safer internet. In 2021, Grameenphone, Telenor Group, and Plan International conducted a survey in Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Thailand. The survey results showed that 85% of Bangladeshi youth considered cyberbullying to be a serious issue, yet 29% reported having experienced it personallyA research study conducted by Plan International Bangladesh found that 18% more online bullying occurred after the outbreak of COVID-19. The study, titled “Fear of Violence Among Girls and Young Women,” revealed that 56.6% of girls in Bangladesh received offensive comments that violated their rights on digital platforms. In total, 78.3% of the girls and women studied reported experiencing increased mental pressure, with a significant number suffering from severe psychological trauma. This resulted in some of them avoiding the internet, social media, lacking self-confidence, and avoiding interpersonal interactions.
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The Safe Digital Space for Girls and Youth (SDSGY) Project has been launched by Plan International Norway, Plan International Bangladesh, Grameenphone, and Telenor to address the issues described. This initiative will aid young people, with a focus on girls, in acquiring knowledge of finding information, communication, digital etiquette, digital skills, online safety, and responsible behavior in online spaces as “digital citizens” of the 21st century. The program aims to enhance digital knowledge, skills, resilience, and a safe online environment for 2,350,000 girls and young people, with a focus on those from marginalized groups, over a period of two and a half years.
The skills gap of the youth group will be identified through activities, shown on a map reflecting their needs. Both formal and informal learning methods, such as training and peer-to-peer learning, will be used to improve the foundational digital skills, responsible behavior, and accountability of girls and young people. Community leaders will be made aware of the importance of creating a supportive environment for children and youth to learn and succeed online through community-based awareness activities and youth-led campaigns.
The project aims to empower 450,000 girls and youth with digital skills and online safety knowledge, which will positively impact 2 million people.
The project focuses on providing the necessary skills to marginalized adolescents. Storytelling will be used to showcase the impact of the capacity building. Based on the consolidated needs of the youth community, they will lead advocacy campaigns and raise public awareness at the family, community, local, and national levels to emphasize the importance of safe digital spaces for girls and young people in the country.
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