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Project Period: 1 August 2013 - 31 January 2015 (Extended till May 2015)
Working Area:Mymensingh, 4 Upazillas, 8 Unions and 40 Wards
- Upazillas: MymensinghSadar, Muktagacha, Fulbaria, Nandail
- Unions: Khagdohor, Dapunia, Kheruajani, Kashimpur, Balian, Deokhula, Musulli and Ganggail
Donors: USAID – Justice for All Program
Context:
The formal justice system of Bangladesh is largely inaccessible to the majority of the citizens. Lack of access to justice is severe for women, children and marginalized groups (such as, adibashis, dalits, and persons with disabilities).Key factors limiting access to justice at the community level is the lack of legal awareness amongst rural communities regarding their basic rights, and existing remedies under the law, and related services, as well as lack of access to, and availability of, government and non-government legal aid services. Within the government legal aid system, although the legislative framework is in place, there has been till recently an insufficient commitment on behalf of the government to activate and implement the Act, with the NLASO and DLACs operating within severe institutional and resource constraints.
Goal:
To strengthen and expand access to justice among women, men and children living in poverty or disadvantage through establishment of a legal education model, and improved citizen awareness of rights, remedies and services, and through strengthening and expanding legal services through outreach and activation of DLACs, UZLACs, and ULACs ("LACs"), measurable through establishment of robust public-private partnerships for referrals and case coordination, and through greater usage of available services by targeted communities.
Objectives:
To improve citizen awareness of rights and remedies through development of a legal education module, with a special emphasis on family law, land law, criminal law, violence against women, and violence against children.
To reinforce legal through Legal Aid Committees, by establishing strong public-private partnerships for referrals and case coordination, and greater usage of available services by the beneficiaries.
Beneficiaries:
Individuals from low income groups, particularly chor-dwellers (Fulbaria) and slum-dwellers (Sadar), with a focus on women. Secondary beneficiaries will include government Legal Aid Committee (LACs), Union Parishad Standing Committees and other community level justice-sector actors.
Activities:
- Facilitating awareness meetings for targeted communities, in collaboration with LACs and partner organizations, on rights, remedies and accessing available services, and with a focus on gender equality and addressing practical barriers to access to justice, such as costs, mobility or associated stigma.
- Developing a legal education on rights, remedies and accessing available services focusing on family law, land law. Violence against women, violence against children and criminal law (including practical advice on procedures at local thana)
- Raising public awareness on rights, remedies and accessing available services of LAC members UP members and targeted communities through distribution of posters, leaflets, books, and stickers, as well as through social media, Rights Awareness Fairs and street dramas;
- Developing collaborative approaches with relevant stakeholders including project staff, partner organizations, LACs, lawyers, civil society members and members of judiciaryto provision of legal and other services through facilitating the formation and/or operational functions of LACs. ; and
- Greater engagement and capacity-buildingof judges, lawyers, legal aid officers, and other justice sector actors through workshops, mediation training, and training sessions. The participation of female lawyers and judges will be highly encouraged at these workshops.
Expected Results:
- Creation of greater legal awareness of rights, remedies and services within targeted communities
- Greater capacity of women, men and children living in poverty or facing discrimination to seek redress from the available justice system.
- Increased responsiveness of DLACS and local justice system actors i.e police officers, lawyers, court officials.
- Increased capacity to perform their duties and responsibilities under the law and
- Improved participation of, women and girls within the justice system, and increased responsiveness of the system to their needs and rights.
WORK UNDERTAKEN
Outcomes:
This project has created many unique outputs and will have a long-term impact in the society, especially for poor and marginalized communities who have lacked access to legal services. With the implementation of the `Community Awareness on Access to Justice` project, BLAST as local partner was able to effect some important new changes.
- The majority of union legal aid committee (LAC) members were not earlier aware about their membership in the committee. By implementing the JFA activities, these committees have been activated.
- Most of the local community was also unaware about the availability of legal aid services. By implementing this project people have learned about the government’s. legal aid services.
- Upazila Legal Aid Committees (UZLAC) & Union Legal Aid Committees (UPLAC) have started to carry out their functions and a trickle of applicants has steadily grown in the district legal aid offices for getting legal aid services and has also started to reach the UPLAC and union level with UZLAC for getting information and legal aid and advice.
Activities Undertaken Include:
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