Across the world, civil society legal empowerment programs are making important contributions to securing access to justice and inclusive development. The evidence base for the impacts of such programs is slowly increasing and has been subject to robust evaluation in multiple countries. From 2014-2016, the Open Society Justice Initiative teamed with the BRAC Human Rights and Legal Service Program (BRAC HRLS), a large legal empowerment program in Bangladesh, to explore what BRAC HRLS’s data could tell us. This study aimed to explore how BRAC HRLS legal services strengthened community relationships with institutions, enhanced the social well-being of clients, and improved the economic well-being of its clients. The research relied on existing administrative data about mediation, court and registration services provided by BRAC HRLS from 2012-2014 as well as a small survey sample of former clients and current staff, and utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods. The case file analysis reveals common demographic characteristics for HRLS clients. Of the 445 cases we analyzed, over 98% of the clients were women, largely aged from 20 to 30 years. Of the cases analyzed, the most common case type accounting for more than 80% of the cases were clients seeking assistance to recover dower and/or maintenance, sometimes after a period of neglect or physical abuse incited by husband/in-laws (either or both). The BRAC HRLS program has had a tremendous impact on making justice accessible to people.
Authors: Cerecina, Mila; Chapman, Peter; Shahed, Syeda Sitwat
Type: Book/Book Chapter
Year: 2016
