By S.M. Osman Goni Sohag from Shyamnagar
On the occasion of the “International Campaign to End Violence Against Women 2025,” a courtyard meeting titled “Life Stories of Rural Women” was held in the Fultala area of Shyamnagar upazila in Satkhira district recently. The event was organized by local youth organization Saider with support from BARCIK.
The event was presided over by Saider Director Md. Murshid Alam where Pranab Biswas, Officer-in-Charge of the One-Stop Crisis Cell (OCC) attended as chief guest. Ramkrishna Joardar, Associate Regional Coordinator of BARCIK attended as special guest.
Speakers included BARCIK Field Facilitator Barsha Gain and youth organizer S.M. Osman Goni. Local volunteers Champa Mondal, Meghla Rani, along with women and adolescent girls from the area, participated in the discussion.
Discussants of the meeting said that preventing violence against women and girls requires coordinated efforts from families, communities, and the state. They highlighted online harassment and cyber violence as growing concerns in the digital age, stressing the urgent need to ensure women’s digital safety. They also mentioned that increased awareness of rights among women could help to prevent many forms of hidden violence in rural areas.
During the meeting, women of different age groups shared their personal experiences, challenges, and safety concerns.
