Bangladesh Mahila Parishad - Norad

less visible to the grass roots. In essence, what BMP delivers to all its members is asupport network for women who encounter gender discrimination. BMP has anambition to include women from all walks of lives, and do not single out anyparticular target groups. However, the question of whether and how to include youngmen in awareness raising meetings at the local level should be considered. Thesemeetings are attended largely by women.The intensity of the training given to primary committees is relatively low.Nevertheless, for those who have ambitions and want to become active on women’srights, the primary committees offer a platform to speak out. The training for thesepotential grass roots leaders has been strengthened, but the need is large.The membership base also offers an income potential for BMP and from asustainability perspective, the option of increased membership fees could beexplored, and this is discussed in more detail later in this report. At the momentmembership information is not computerized. Computerization of this informationseems a logical step while keeping in mind that the development of a system forefficient membership information management needs to be balanced against costs.415.2 Organizational issues1) The core competencies of BMP lie with its sub-committees. There is much overlap inthe work done by the sub-committees, in part due to cross-cutting issues, but alsodue to the broadness of BMP’s objectives. The diversity of objectives was mostnotable in relation to the movement sub-committee. This sub-committee works onadvocacy as well as political representation. The work done by this committee is alsoclosely related with that undertaken by the Danish project. There seems to be a needto analyze how BMP’s work on national level politics and governance should beorganized, in view of its high priority within BMP and the start up of the Danishproject. Similarly, the advocacy work of BMP may need a more explicit strategy andorganizational focus, and a demarcation in relation to activism.Currently, BMP objectives are translated into activities in the annual plans of the subcommittees.Perhaps the broad programme objectives could be broken down intosub-goals in the annual work plans, and subsequently activities could be linked to thesesub-goals. This would involve identifying the steps that need to be taken to achievethe overall programme goals, and an identification of the actors that must beinvolved to achieve the changes envisaged. This exercise may be helpful in dividingup project components among sub-committees.There was a request for more staff by several of the sub-committees. The legal subcommitteeneeded a senior lawyer to oversee the districts and the movement subcommitteealso needed staff to oversee work of the districts. Perhaps most urgentlythe medical sub-committee needed support staff to expand and sustain itsprogramme. The legal department also suggested that one staff lawyer at the districtlevel would be a good option to strengthen their sub-national legal work.