Rights and Equity: Empowering the Rural Poor

A key focus of the Social Development Programme is to build capacities of the rural poor by uniting and organising them through community based organisations. The programme focuses on strengthening these organisations so that they can function as independent forums for the poor.

Across 43 districts in Bangladesh, BRAC has formed more than 10,000 community based organisations known as Polli Shomaj and Union Shomaj.

These democratic and inclusive organisations of the rural poor are now enabling them to:

• Gain better access to local government resources
• Address systemic inequities
• Take collective action against exploitation and social ills
• Become members of different local bodies and participate in local initiatives
• Build awareness on a wide spectrum of issues that affect their lives

The Social Development Programme has created a platform for poor women to raise their voices in the rural decision making structure. Being women headed organisations, Polli Shomaj and Union Shomaj have helped to create a new cadre of female leaders at the grassroots level.

Polli Shomaj

Polli Shomaj is a ward level community based organisation of the rural poor, especially women. It is the most basic grassroots organisational unit in BRAC’s social mobilisation strategy.

BRAC views each Polli Shomaj as an independent, democratic and inclusive organisation of poor people.

Key activities of the Polli Shomaj include:

• Mobilising local government resources for the poor
• Establishing access to existing GO/NGO services
• Dealing with social problems such as child marriage, dowry, fatwa (often biased local courts), corruption and injustice within the community
• Taking part in local government activities and participating in social initiatives

The first Polli Shomaj was formed in 1998. Today, a total of 10,071 Polli Shomaj are actively operating in 43 districts of Bangladesh with a concentration in the poorest areas.

Union Shomaj

Union Shomaj is a federation of a number of Polli Shomaj at the union level. It increases the institutional strength of Polli Shomaj by assembling them at a higher level organisation. It allows for the networking, sharing and learning among the Polli Shomaj within the union.

Key activities of Union Shomaj include:

• Mobilising public resources available at the union level for the poor
• Lobbying with local government and networking with other NGOs
• Increasing involvement of the poor in crucial union level bodies such as school committees, mosque committees and market committees.

Presently, 762 Union Shomaj are active in 43 districts of Bangladesh

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