In July 2025, SERAC-Bangladesh, under the Improving SRHR in Dhaka Project supported by the HealthBridge Foundation of Canada, organized a series of Monthly Community Action Group (CAG) meetings across multiple areas of Dhaka, including Nandipara, Purbo Basabo, Madarteck, Sector-7 Uttara, Botanical Garden, Duarapara, Mirpur, Vashantek, Senpara, Shewrapara, Anandabazar, Gabtoli, Meradiya, Shipahibag, and other community hubs. These meetings brought together community health volunteers to address pressing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) issues such as family planning, menstrual regulation (MR), post-abortion care (PAC), contraception, and gender-based violence (GBV).
A total of 204 participants took part in the meetings, all of them community health volunteers. Of these, 161 were girls and 43 were boys. This age diversity ensured that perspectives from both youth and adult volunteers were included in the discussions.
The primary objective of these CAG meetings was to strengthen volunteer knowledge on family planning, MR, PAC, and SGBV, while also solving location-specific SRHR challenges. The content covered a range of topics, including contraception methods, safe MR information, and strategies to address sexual and gender-based violence. These sessions also provided a space for volunteers to share experiences, exchange ideas, and coordinate local solutions to community health problems.
Monthly CAG meetings have several key advantages. They foster continuous community engagement, ensuring that SRHR issues remain a priority at the grassroots level. By bringing together volunteers regularly, the meetings help sustain knowledge retention, build leadership skills, and strengthen local advocacy efforts. They also encourage rapid problem-solving community-specific issues can be identified early and addressed collectively before they escalate. Moreover, these meetings help create a network of trained and informed volunteers who can act as trusted local resources, linking community members with essential health services and accurate information.
The monthly CAG meetings serve as a vital platform for tackling these challenges. By equipping volunteers with accurate information, fostering community-led solutions, and maintaining regular dialogue, these meetings contribute to building healthier, more informed, and more empowered communities across Dhaka. With continued investment and expansion, they have the potential to create lasting change in the fight for better SRHR awareness and services in Bangladesh.