The Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Natalia Kanem visited Gaibandha, a priority district for UNFPA, due to its complex vulnerabilities and challenges, including frequent flooding during the Monsoon season.
At the Shapmara Union health centre, Dr Kanem met with midwives from the indigenous Santal community, which has high rates of maternal mortality. Since July 2020, UNFPA has trained these midwives to support facility-based births, and to help the Santal overcome language barriers when visiting healthcare facilities, resulting in an increase in the institutional delivery rate from 3 to 20%.
Local midwives are able to build trust with the Santal women, by treating them with respect and dignity. They speak the local language; understand local customs; and enable women to deliver with dignity.
At a police station in Gaibandha, the Executive Director visited the service desk for women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities. UNFPA piloted these service desks at 15 police stations to support survivors of gender-based violence with legal support and safe referrals to other essential services, taking a survivor-centred approach.
The success of this programme led the Bangladesh Police to extend it nationwide. The desks now operate in 653 police stations across Bangladesh, including 7 in Gaibandha. Last year, more than 5,000 women and girls received assistance from service desks in Gaibandha District.
Concluding her visit, Dr Kanem met with members of the local transgender community, who are extremely vulnerable during disasters. During emergencies, socially excluded groups are unable to access evacuation centres and are consistently excluded from relief and emergency services.
In 2020, UNFPA implemented an anticipatory action programme in northwestern districts of Bangladesh including Gaibandha district - the first of its kind in Bangladesh. Ahead of the monsoon flooding season, UNFPA provided marginalised communities including transgender people and disabled women with financial support and more than 6,000 dignity kits to enable them to prepare and/or relocate prior to the disaster.
Transgender people are often excluded from relief and emergency services. UNFPA is part of the fight against the stigma, discrimination, and taboos around gender identity that transgender individuals face during natural disasters, to ensure no one is left behind.
