PHREB stands for Promoting Human Rights and Education in Bangladesh. We are a not-for-profit organization based in Chittagong in the south of Bangladesh, dedicated to fighting violence against women and girls.

We educate young people about human rights. In doing so we aim to empower girls and women to speak up when they are abused, to seek help for themselves or others in an abusive situation, and be leaders in their communities in the fight against gender based violence.

Our aim is to work towards a society in which every person enjoys the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights charters.

We want to make human rights a fact of life in Bangladesh.

We have received three awards from home and abroad for our contribution to fighting violence against women.

Read a first hand account here of the human rights atrocities facing the women of Bangladesh.

PHREB stands for the following values and principles:

Achieve Gender Equality and Protect Women's Human Rights

PHREB considers the promotion and protection of women's human rights is the most succinct and direct means by which to develop and sustain an equitable society.

Enable Girls to Lead the Change

PHREB recognizes the importance of giving girls agency to speak out, demand and access their fundamental rights and freedom.

Protect Girls and Women

PHREB recognizes the importance of all girls' right to access comprehensive education, information, services and resources that allow them to avoid exposure to HIV/AIDS, unexpected pregnancy and abortion.

Promote Universal Access to Primary Education

PHREB recognizes the importance of girls' access to formal education and technology based vocational training for economic, social, political and cultural empowerment of women.

Engage Men and Boys

PHREB believes that if we can create a change in the mindset of young male Bangladeshis and engage them in fighting violence against girls, we can break the cycle of violence against women and girls.

PHREB is a registered not-for-profit organization with the NGO Affairs Bureau of the Prime Minister's Office under the Foreign Donations Regulations Ordinance ACT 1978.

We have seven individuals who constitute the Executive Council (EC). The EC provides oversight and strategic direction to PHREB. The Board of Directors adhere to the constitutional documents and higher-level policies set by the EC.

Apart from the Executive Director, the other six members of the executive council are non-executive. The Annual General Meeting of General Council elects the Executive council for two years.

Day to Day Management

The Executive Director is delegated by the Executive Council to run and manage the PHREB office and oversee the implementation of all its programs. Acting as the main decision making body, the Board of Directors is responsible for the day-to-day running of PHREB. As part of their role, regular meetings are held to review progress and discuss issues of concern, and staff meetings are held quarterly to consider finance, administration and programming matters.

The Board of Directors is composed of the Executive Director, Mr. Faridul Alam, and Program Director, Ms. Tania Mostari.

The National Advisory Council provides advice to the Council and Board of Directors from time to time in relation to finance, program and administration matters. The National Advisory Council can elect one of their members to sit on the Executive Council.

The International Advisory Council helps promote the work of PHREB to the media and among development networks in their respective countries. They maintain a dialogue with PHREB about developments and innovations directly related to PHREB's mandate. They also provide some assistance with fundraising and international networking.

PHREB is funded by ICCO the Netherlands.

We cannot accomplish our aim alone. Together with local and international organizations, networks and individuals, we are working for human rights to become a part of life in Bangladesh.

Locally we build alliances among girls, teachers, Imams, youth, local government, civil society members and organizations. In particular:

• Bangladesh Kishori Adhikar Forum (BKAF)
• Teachers Alliance for Safe School for Girls
• Imams Movement for Women's Rights Network
• The NGO Alliance on Women, Violence and AIDS
• Youth for Fair Climate

Nationally and internationally we have relationships with:

• ICCO (The Netherlands)
• The Rajdulari Foundation (Sweden)
• The Asian Human Rights Commission (Hong Kong)
• Amnesty International (Dutch and Swedish Chapters)
• WGNRR (The Netherlands)
• Global Network on Women’s right to Livelihoods (India)
• Chittagong Social Development Forum (CSDF)
• Communities of Youth - International Alliance of Young People
• 16 Days Gender Activism Campaign