Ravi Verma

STRIVE is a research consortium investigating the social norms and inequalities that drive HIV. Despite substantial progress in addressing AIDS, the number of people newly HIV-infected continues to outstrip the number entering treatment. Although the importance of addressing the structural drivers of HIV is increasingly recognised, there is limited evidence on how best to intervene.

A six-year international research consortium, STRIVE research focuses on gender inequality and violence, poor livelihood options, alcohol availability and drinking norms, and stigma and criminalization. The consortium seeks to understand how these forces drive the epidemic; what programmes are effective in tackling them; how such interventions can, affordably, be taken to scale; and how best to translate this research into policy and practice.

Protecting Human Rights (PHR) is a five year human rights activity project funded by USAID. ICRW is partnering with Plan and the Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association to reduce the high prevalence of domestic violence and other related human rights violations (including child marriage, anti-stalking, dowry, physical humiliation, torture, trafficking, rape and child abduction).

To achieve this goal, PHR is engaging in an array of activities to encourage policy reform and advocacy, enhance public awareness, and increase public dialogue between the government and civil society on issues of domestic violence and other associated human rights abuses. Interventions under PHR include: 1) advocating for the Government of Bangladesh to adopt and enforce comprehensive women‘s rights and domestic violence policies that includes legislation as the Domestic Violence Bill; 2) ensuring that survivors of domestic violence and other related human rights abuses have greater access to justice; 3) increasing the awareness and capacity of communities throughout Bangladesh to reduce domestic violence.