DEVCOM has completed its three batches of training for the union parishad (UP) chairs who are the heads of GMC in their respective unions on access to justice for distressed migrant workers. The first batch took place on the 18th & 19th of October 2023 at Foy’s Lake Resort in Chattogram and the second and last batch took place on 28th to 30th October 2023 at CCULB Resort in Gazipur. Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation Bangladesh organized this capacity improvement workshop where the implementing partners Prottyashi, RMMRU, and OKUP supported in organizing. A total of 47 GMC chairs attended these training workshops in three batches. Each batch of training has been conducted for one and a half days. All three batches of training have been conducted through knowledge sharing on various topics and group work among the GMC chairs and implementing partner staff. The training aims to sensitize the GMC chairs so that they can positively contribute to protecting the rights of migrant workers and their family members. DEVCOM’s Managing Director Hassan Imam, Gender and Migration consultant named Ms. Sheepa Hafiza along with Senior Coordinator Shamima Parvin conducted these trainings.

DEVCOM has completed their 7-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on the Curriculum on Housekeeping for Female Migrant Workers bound for Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, which has been held from 30th July to 5th August 2023. International Organization for Migration (IOM) Bangladesh organized this ToT for the 15 housekeeping instructors of Technical Training Centers in Cox’s Bazar. The ToT has been continued from 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM every day. Mock sessions by the participants and sessions on basic ToT were conducted throughout the period. The ToT aims to help the participants increase their knowledge level and improve and sharpen the trainers' existing qualities to train at the TTC. DEVCOM’s Managing Director Hassan Imam, Senior Coordinator Shamima Parvin, and Technical Manager Israt Jahan Nisha have conducted this 7-day training session. The Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET) Director General (DG) was present remotely at the opening ceremony of the ToT program and the Director of BMET (Training Operation) and Project Director (40 TTC), BMET were present at the closing ceremony.

DEVCOM carried out formative research of Winrock International for their project “Fight Slavery and Trafficking-in-Persons (FSTIP) activity” which is funded by USAID. DEVCOM collected qualitative and quantitative data from the selected project working areas to examine current social norms and behavioral drivers related to trafficking in persons (TiP) and child marriage (CM). They prepared a contextual analysis report including key behaviors towards TiP and CM to be promoted and identified the sources of received information and attitudes towards these social issues. As a part of the assignment, DEVCOM developed an SBCC strategy including media and materials, identified primary and supporting audiences for the strategy, current behaviors, barriers to and facilitate improved behaviors, and information gaps. An M&E plan and communication plan were developed for setting benchmarks establishing the success of the SBCC interventions.

DEVCOM in collaboration with International Organization for Migration (IOM) Bangladesh organized a workshop on the outline and methodology finalization of the housekeeping manual for the Middle-East bound migrant workers. The workshop was organized in the conference room of BMET Bhaban. The discussion aimed to share the essential topics to be covered during the two-month training program for women migrant workers bound for Middle-eastern countries and to collect inputs from the participants to identify specific sub-topics and the methodologies and materials within each key area. The workshop was attended by participants from the Bureau of Manpower Employment and Training (BMET), Technical Training Centres (TTC), UN agencies, and international and national development organizations. The workshop provided a sharing of valuable and useful ideas and inputs of the participants on making the housekeeping training manual an improved and better version for the benefit of our women migrant workers.