OVERVIEW

BRAC Social Development, Human Rights and Legal Services program aims to promote greater awareness of social, political, and economic issues. The program staff provides assistance to community members whose rights are being seriously infringed upon. BRAC believes that women must be aware of their legal rights to protect themselves from discrimination and exploitation, and be encouraged to take action when their rights are breached. To take such steps, women often need external assistance, such as the help of a lawyer or the police. BRAC feels that it should and can assist poor women obtain access to these services, either through legal aid clinics, by helping women report cases at the local police station, or when seeking medical care in the case of acid victims.

The Human Rights and Legal Service (HRLS) Program is the central component of BRAC’s Social Development Program. The main objectives of the program are: giving VO members access to information about law; demystifying the law through legal literacy classes; raising awareness about legal rights; and empowering the poor, especially women, both legally and socially by encouraging them to take legal action.