A countrywide youth campaign began Monday ahead of International Women's Day 2022 as fear of violence prevents women, especially girls, from achieving their potential. International development organisation Plan International Bangladesh and national development organisation Jaago Foundation jointly launched the campaign "Challenging Fear of Violence" to bring the youths of the country together. The campaign was launched in the capital. Kashfia Feroz, director of girls' rights, Shemonty Monjari, campaign manager of Plan International Bangladesh; Korvi Rakshand, founder of Jaago, and Esha Farooque, assistant director of operations, were present. Kashfia said: "We started collecting evidence-based information from different ends of the country and were commissioned to analyse policy and budget for further advocacy initiatives," said Kashfia.  Among 12,000 survey participants, 81.6 percent of females experienced harassment in public places. And 86.8 percent of women and girls said they were victims of harassment in their households. Around 74 percent of female students said they faced verbal abuse from their teachers and senior students.  READ: Rotary rolls out 3-day project campaign Some 57 percent of participants said they were harassed online and 56 percent mentioned sexual harassment at their workplaces.  Fear of violence came up very strongly from their end, limiting their potential and restricting their mobility, Kashfia said. Also, the study revealed that many parents feel discouraged to send their daughters to educational institutions or let them participate in sports or picnics and even for private tuitions. Korvi said, "We want a society in which every place is a safe space for people of all genders."

Amid a serious spike of coronavirus cases, the government is going to resume the countrywide mass vaccination campaign on Thursday through administering Sinopharm jabs. Besides, the online registration process for those who are on the priority list for vaccination resumed today (Wednesday) after a long pause. Dr Shamsul Haque, member secretary of the Vaccine Deployment Committee, came up with the announcement at a virtual press briefing arranged by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS). He said the Sinopharm jabs will be administered at 40 centres in Dhaka city and at all district hospitals from 8am to 3pm every day as in the past. Dr Haque said the vaccine will also be given at Bangladesh Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases (BITID) in Chattogram and Saiddpur Sadar Hospital during the same period. READ: Mass vaccination expected to resume in July: Principal Secretary  He said those who got registered earlier but could not receive the vaccines will be given the Sinopharm jabs now while the medical and university students and those who are on the priority lists can get registered for the vaccine. “Everyone will get an SMS from a vaccination centre after the registration and all must receive the vaccine at that centre accordingly. “In this case, the vaccine card and NID card must be brought for receiving the vaccine.” Dr Haque said the Covid vaccination centres will remain out of the purview of the lockdown. “Those who have vaccine cards will be able to go to the relevant centre showing it.” He said the expatriate workers who stay in countries where the Sinopharm vaccine is accepted also can receive the vaccine at the centres both in Dhaka and outside. “But no one will get the vaccine without registration.” Besides, Dr Haque said, the Pfizer vaccine will also be administered at seven centres--Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, Salimullah Medical College and Hospital, Mugda Medical College Hospital, Shaheed Shuhrawardy Medical College and Hospital, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Kurmitola General Hospital, and Sheikh Russel National Gastroliver Institute and Hospital—in the capital. He said the outbound expatriate workers who are not allowed to return to their workplaces without getting Pfizer vaccine can only receive the vaccine at the seven centres as per the list from the Manpower Export Promotion Bureau.   READ: Japan opens mass vaccination centers 2 months before Games Dr Haque said those who are supposed to receive Sinopharm jabs from these centres will have to go to alternative centres.