The Centre for Peace and Justice of Brac University (BU) celebrated the International Women’s Day on 8 March, 2020. The celebration had more than 400 participants through a series of events such as cycling rally, debate, chess & photography contest, taekwondo training display and discussion meeting with its newly established Women Peace Cafés (WPC) at Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) and Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University, Mymensingh (JKKNIU). Vice President International and Interim Head of HR of Brac University, Mr. Jonathan Cartmell and the Executive Director of the Centre for Peace and Justice Barrister Manzoor Hasan participated as the special guests to the celebration of BRUR campus. Treasurer of JKKNIU Professor Md. Jalal Uddin and Programme Analyst- GPS (ROAP) of UN Women Asia Pacific, Ms. Fanny Arend and Director of Campus Life, BU, Ms. Karla Fraser participated at JKKNIU. The speakers and guests discussed the importance of the day for women empowerment and generation equality. They have appreciated the WPC activities and urged the sustainable operation of the café without donor dependency in the future.
The guests and participants of both WPC have projected the theme of this year’s Women’s Day “I am Generation Equality: Realizing Women's Rights” through placards, banners, festoons and t-shirts.
CPJ has facilitated the establishment of WPC at two regional universities. This is an innovative and pioneering initiative to engage young female students for promoting peace and cohesion in the society under ‘Empowered Women’ and ‘Peaceful Communities’ projects. Both projects are supported by UN Women Bangladesh. Mr. Zia Uddin has been coordinating the WPC initiatives and the celebration of this day at both JKKNIU and BRUR campus as a project manager of Empowered Women Peaceful Communities Project at CPJ.
On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, both WPC’s undertaken a number of initiatives to create awareness among both male and female students. WPC BRUR organized a debate competition on Women’s Peace and Security, taekwondo training by 80 students who received a 3-month long training from WPC, photography competition on Empowered Women, launching of the WPC website, magazine and brochure and photography exhibition on the yearlong activities of WPC. The WPC JKKNIU launched a wall magazine, organized a 2-day long training on mobile film production, organized a chess competition for women and placard writing competition.
On the occasion of the celebration, the WPC BRUR has awarded certificates to 40 students who completed a 3-month long training by WPC BRUR.
To commemorate the pioneer of women’s rights and empowerment in South Asia, Begum Rokeya, the delegation of CPJ BracU along with selected mentors and members of WPCs visited the Begum Rokeya Memorial Centre at Pairabond, Rangpur.