Strengthening Advocacy Initiatives of Dalit Community (SAID)

Project Location: Khulna City Corporation and Digholia upazila of Khulna district
Project Period: April 2022- December 2022
Financed by: Counterpart International & USAID
Total Amount:  BDT 1,260,000.00

Direct Beneficiaries: 135

The caste system is still prevalent in our society and due to the lack of anti-discrimination laws and development policies for the inclusion of dalits, the dalit community lacks leadership, an unequal communication system, they are constantly being denied right to express their views. They are deprived of their constitutional rights, including access to health care, education and other social facilities, access to justice, to improve their quality of life. This situation is prevailing in every dalit community living in the whole of Bangladesh. That is why this project is helping to build advocacy, express opinions and network in the society, establishing basic human rights and empowering the dalit community.

Objectives:

• To increase the organizational capacity of Dalit in project management;
• To increase the participation of the dalit community in existing networks and platforms by creating opportunities for them to raise their collective voice in district and national level advocacy platforms.

Activities:

• Conduct pre-assessment of organizational capacity of dalit community;
• Identify key stakeholders related to the project;
• Formation of 3 dalit youth forums and conduct follow-up meetings with forum members;
• Organize capacity building on advocacy and liaison coordination with Dalit workers, youth forums and other stakeholders;
• Organize meetings with stakeholders.