This program focuses on capacity building of people in addressing gender issues.
Bedari does it through two different ways.
- HIV and Aids Awareness Projects
HIV and AIDS is an established human rights issue and Bedari takes it as women’s rights issue. The degree of disempowerment of women is directly related to the amount of risk they are faced to be infected with HIV and AIDS. They are the ones much less involved with the risky behaviors but still at risk due to the risky behaviors of their male relations. Also the information and awareness opportunity for women and girls are much less than those of men. To address these issues following activities are being conducted.
- Educating Youth on HIV and Aids
We conduct awareness sessions with youth, both girls and boys in schools. This has been a very useful and interesting experience.
Bedari has established a helpline to provide information in confidentiality. Women and girls can easily access to this facility without showing their identity. Both male and female counselors are available to provide information.
- Land Inheritance Rights of Women in Earth Quick Area of Muzaffarabad
Disasters may not be gender neutral; rather it affects different segments of the society differently. Women and girls being marginalized are usually the worst hit. In the aftermath of South-Asian earth quake of 2005, Bedari works at different levels for the protection of human rights of women and girls. Bedari is working in 30 villages of district Muzaffarabad mostly with youth to raise awareness on the issue of land and other property inheritance for women.
With an aim to improve the accountability and transparency in the working of humanitarian aid agencies, Consumer Helpline was established in April 2007. It aims to protect the rights of humanitarian assistance beneficiaries and commercial consumers (earthquake survivors are also consumers of some commercial entities). Consumer Helpline receives complaints from earthquake survivors about the problems they have with aid agencies. These complaints are reported to the concerned aid agencies, which in turn try to resolve them.
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