Education : A Sustainable Way for Mainstreaming the Children of Sex - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Education : A Sustainable Way for Mainstreaming the Children of Sex Workers

BACKGROUND

Sex work is considered as the most hatred means of

• livelihood. The women in sex trade and their children

are discriminated, exploited,

• ppressed

and stigmatized in many ways.

2

Presently, SWs have over 850 children in Daulatdia

• brothel. Traditionally the female child of SWs opts for

sex business and the male child gets involved in antisocial activities. About 3,500 SWs and their inmates live in Daulatdia

• brothel. They are mostly illiterates and therefore are

financially exploited in several ways and do not have any choice for alternative livelihood.

  

Contd…

BACKGROUND

Since 2003, PIACT has been implementing another program to improve well-being of SWs and their children through promoting and protecting human rights, empowering them to protect and prevent violence and ensure accessibility to the public services and entitlements, with support from Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF).

3

In 2000, PIACT undertook a comprehensive program in Daulatdia brothel to address these issues through various interventions with the

• bjective
• f

mainstreaming them in the society. The program was supported by DSS/UNDP

 

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Daulatdia is situated in the district of Rajbari under Dhaka Division

Education for the Children of Sex Workers

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Mainstreaming through providing safe home facilities and education has been a great success.

Children at PIACT safe home (2006)

The program included safe home facilities for the children

• f SWs at Daulatdia where they

were provided with accommodation, food, care, protection, entertaining activities, health services, basic education including religious education, pre-formal education and admission in the formal school.

Contd…

Education for the Children of Sex Workers

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Over one hundred children of ages 3 to 12 years were living in the safe home of PIACT and received the

• facilities. The program support from

DSS/UNDP was available up to June 2007.

Children taking physical exercise (2007)

Since then, a limited number of children have been staying in the PIACT safe home and pursuing their study. Some of the children were transferred to the safe home

• f the government and NGOs. Some of them were

handed over to their mothers. However, none of the

children returned to the brothel.



Contd…

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A total of 25 children could not be placed anywhere and their mothers either died or were not traceable or could not afford to take their children away. Those children have been staying in PIACT safe home with support from PIACT and partly from MJF and some of the mothers of the children.



Some adolescent girls at PIACT safe home studying in school and college (July 2013)

Those children made tremendous successes in

• education. Some of the female children were fortunate to

be integrated in the society through job placement and social marriage in respectable and affluent families during the course of their study.

Education for the Children of Sex Workers

Some Notable Instances of Mainstreaming the Children of SWs

8 Director, PIACT playing the role of father of the bride in the wedding ceremony (2010)

Mousumi, a girl grew up at PIACT Safe Home completed 5 years schooling and then got admitted in a madrasa in Manikgonj district according to her desire in 2008. She got married to a businessman there in a respectable family. Her marriage ceremony was arranged in a community center in Manikgonj town. Her teachers in the religious school managed the whole affairs of the marriage along with PIACT. Mousumi is leading a decent family life and gave birth to a male child

• n 8 August 2013.

Mousumi with her husband and son (December 2014)

Contd…

Some Notable Instances of Mainstreaming the Children of SWs

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• Md. Kamal Hossain (2014)

A male child, Md. Kamal Hossain, brought up in PIACT Safe Home and passed his Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examination in 2012. Then he got admitted in Bangladesh- Korea Technical Training Center (BKTTC) in Dhaka and completed a one year course with support from PIACT. After completion his course he got a job in a renowned factory as Technical Operator and now he is earning a handsome salary Contd…

Some Notable Instances of Mainstreaming the Children of SWs

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Bizli with her son (December 2014) Bijli (2012)

Bijli, brought up at PIACT Safe Home and passed the Secondary School Certificate examination in 2012. After passing the SSC exam she got admitted in a local college at

• Daulatdia. A boy from a civil society

fall in love with her and his family proposed to the PIACT officials for their marriage. In the presence of the community people and civil society PIACT arranged their marriage and they got bonded of their new life. She is passing a good time with his husband and other family members

• f her in-laws house. She has become

a mother in 2014.

Contd…

Some Notable Instances of Mainstreaming the Children of SWs

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Ritu, another girl, brought up in the safe home of PIACT and was getting her education in a local school at Daulatdia. She also got married in a respectable family and passing her family life like

• ther

community people.

Ritu with her husband and son

Contd…

Some Notable Instances of Mainstreaming the Children of SWs

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Four girls of PIACT safe home who have 8-12 years schooling recently got admitted into Sheikh Fozilatunnasa Mujib Mohila Technical Training Center in Dhaka for Vocational Training in a 6 months training course on Functional Electronics for immediate job placement after the training

Chumki, Bonna, Prainka and Shilpi at PIACT head Office

Some Notable Instances of Mainstreaming the Children of SWs

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The female child of SWs Ms. Shymoli brought up at PIACT Safe Home, she passed SSC Exam last year and admitted in HSC at local College at

• Dalutdia. Last Month she got

admitted in Gonoshastha Kendra at Savar Dhaka for 3 years long Paramedic course with the support of PIACT Bangladesh . Now She shifted at GSK hostel at Savar, Dhaka

• Ms. Shymoli

Akter

Challenges

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• Pressure

comes from the mother and

• ther

stakeholders to engage the female child in sex business and this is the big challenge to the female child to continue their education

• Getting admission into the formal school without the

name of father was a big challenge which were

• vercome over the time through negotiation with the

school management committee and the opinion leaders of the community

• Having education of children of SWs in the public

school along with the mainstream children of the community was a big challenge which was overcome through social mobilization

Recommendations

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• In order to provide education to the children of sex

workers in the formal school, continuous dialogue and advocacy with the school management committee, opinion leaders, religious leaders, local administration and

• ther

relevant stakeholders should be a continuous effort

• Our experience suggests that providing education to

the children of sex workers is a worthy investment for social integration and is a sustainable approach for mainstreaming them

• Education for children of sex workers should be in

line with life skills and vocational so as to get job placement or self employment

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Hafez Abu Yusuf (Quran‐e‐Hafez)

He is playing as an Ambassador to reduce the stigma and discrimination of SWs in the Society

Thank you

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