Bangladesh Mahila Parishad - Norad

Summary5This mid-term review of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) has been commissionedby Norad and is a requirement of the contract between the Norwegian Embassy inDhaka and BMP. The review was carried out from the 17 th of November to the 1 st ofDecember 2012 by three consultants, Salma Akhter, University of Dhaka, NurulWahab, partner Wahab &co, and Marit Haug, NIBR, team leader. The team carriedout a number of group interviews and focus group discussions, in small and largegroups, with volunteers, members and staff of BMP, as well as with stakeholders inthe human rights field nationally and locally in Sunamganj and Belabo.The report is divided into three sections. First we assess the project activities, results,and impact. Secondly, we describe and assess the work of BMP as an organization,and the measures taken during the period 2010-12 to strengthen the capacity of theorganization. Finally, we assess financial management and procurement procedures.BMP has received support from Norway since 1994 and the current programme,2012-2014, supports BMP with up to NOK 35 million. BMP is a social movementwith nation-wide outreach, a strong voluntary ethos, a strong network of professionalorganizations. BMP is also well networked with civil society organizations, and hasclose working relations with government. Legal advocacy and mediation of issuesrelated to violence against women (VAW) has been at the core of its work. Itsplanning and decision-making is based on collective leadership and checks andbalances. Implementation takes place through its 12 sub-committees.This summary addresses programme effectiveness according to the five outcomeareas identified in the 2009 programme document, it then goes on to answer morespecifically the additional questions that were posed in the ToR.1) Programme effectivenessa. Social movement is accelerated resisting VAW. BMP has been successful inits advocacy work for legal change, and contributed to the law ondomestic violence, the Hindu Registration Marriage Act, and theAnti-trafficking Prevention and Control Act. BMP also advocated fora new law against sexual harassment, not yet passed. BMP’s mostimportant objective in this area it to advocate for a universal familylaw. At the community level, BMP is visible as a women’s humanrights organization combating VAW through its legal programme,with protests against fatwas being one element. BMP’s role inmediating family disputes and in filing cases in court has made it