Four years ago, Jasim Uddin, a devoted father and husband, opened a tea stall in Ramu, Cox’s Bazar. When UNFPA began its “Tea Stall Meeting” initiative targeting the stall’s regular frequenters – men and boys, Jasim, a person with disability, happily agreed to host these meetings twice a month.
Over time, the initial trickle of attendees grew into a crowd of at least 40 men and boys per meeting, with some even standing outside the stall, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of the discussion.
Jasim has gone above and beyond the role of a host by actively promoting the meetings and encouraging men and boys to attend.
“There's an important meeting happening at my stall, where we will discuss a number of issues affecting our community. Please come by and listen attentively!” he would announce to the neighbourhood before every meeting.
“While some men may initially downplay the talks about gender and violence against women and girls, these discussions tend to quickly grab their attention. Even when the meeting is not happening, the stall's regular visitors revisit what they learned in the last meeting. They debate, argue and challenge each other's perspectives, often right in front of me,” Jasim revealed. “And so the discussion goes on.”
The impact of the Tea Stall Meetings has also begun to spill over into Jasim’s personal life, leading to a stronger relationship with his wife. The most important transformation in their relationship dynamics has been acknowledging the hard work she puts in and the support that she needs.
“I share the household work with my wife now and still manage to easily run my stall. This morning, I managed to get to the market to buy fresh fish and chicken, prepare and clean them for cooking, and get here to open the stall on time,” he shared.
“Families, where husband and wife work together as a team, are more successful, financially and otherwise,” Jasim shared his belief.
Perhaps inspired by his own experiences, he strongly believes today that these meetings could be equally valuable to others. And he contributes to this mission by continuing to play the part of a gracious host.
Jasim acknowledges there is still a long road ahead for his community, but the seeds of change have been already sown with the contributions of people like him. He envisions mobile awareness campaigns covering villages across Ramu, community dialogues fostering open conversations between men and women, and tea stall meetings multiplying across the region—laying the groundwork for sustainable, community-driven change.
With World Bank’s funding and UNFPA's technical support, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Health and Gender Support Project in 2021 in Cox’s Bazar district. Under this project, more than 18,000 men and boys participated in over 800 Tea Stall Meetings.
