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European Union and UN Women Sign €4.8 Million Agreement to Advance Gender Equality in Bangladesh
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[Press release]
The European Union and UN Women sign an agreement to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in public spaces, workplaces and tertiary educational institutions in Bangladesh, at the EU office in Dhaka on 21 January 2025. Photo: UN Women/Fahad Kaiser
Dhaka, Bangladesh — The European Union (EU) and UN Women have signed a partnership agreement at the EU office in Dhaka to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in public spaces, workplaces and tertiary educational institutions in Bangladesh.
The project is aligned with the commitment of Bangladesh to achieving "a society without violence against women and children by 2025", as outlined in its National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children (2018–2030), and will integrate strategies for both the prevention of and response to gender-based violence. It will focus on addressing sexual harassment and violence in key areas of daily life, including public spaces, workplaces and educational institutions.
The partnership will further support UN Women in advocating that the Government quickly fulfills its commitments to international gender equality and human rights standards. Additionally, the project will contribute to achieving United Nations Sustainable Development Goal indicator 5.1.1, which aims to end all forms of discrimination against women and girls.
Building on EU political and financial support and UN Women’s prevention programming over the last five years, the 4.8 million euro (about $5 million) grant will focus on three key critical areas:
Strengthening an enabling environment through policies, systems and improving institutional knowledge, resources and practices to prevent sexual and gender-based violence in public spaces, workplaces and tertiary educational institutions;
Transforming harmful social and gender norms to address discriminatory practices;
Strengthening the agency and leadership of civil society and women’s rights organizations to ensure sustained impact.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Michael Miller, Ambassador and Head of Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh, stated, “This intervention … will foster safe environments where women and girls can thrive without fear of harassment or discrimination. The EU is proud to partner with UN Women and to support the authorities of Bangladesh in meeting the rightful expectations of its citizens.”
UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh said: “The collaboration with the EU to advance gender equality will enable UN Women to continue the critical work of preventing violence against women and girls, addressing discriminatory norms and investing in civil society to make gender equality a lived reality in Bangladesh.”
In Photos
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For further information:
- Shararat Islam
Communications Analyst, UN Women. | e: [ Click to reveal ]; - FEROZE Towheed
Press Officer EU Delegation to Bangladesh. | e: [ Click to reveal ]
About UN Women
UN Women is the United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. A global champion for women and girls, UN Women was established to accelerate progress in meeting their needs worldwide.
UN Women in Bangladesh supports the Government in implementing its commitments to international normative standards on gender equality and women’s human rights. UN Women works with a range of stakeholders in Bangladesh including the Government, civil society and women’s organizations, youth, United Nations agencies, and donors. For more please visit: https://asiapacific.unwomen.org/en/countries/bangladesh
About the EU
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies so that everyone can benefit. For more please visit: Delegation of the European Union to Bangladesh.
Note to editors:
More useful information can be found from:
- In Brief: Ending Violence Against Women
- Gender Equality Brief: Bangladesh 2024
- United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF 2022-26)
- National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children (2018–2030)
- The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)
- Beijing Platform for Action