Do legal empowerment activities of NGOs reduce gender-based violence in Bangladesh?

Abstract

This article explores the role of NGOs' legal aid activities in empowering women and reducing gender-based violence in Bangladesh. For collecting primary data, a field survey was conducted in Bangladesh, where come to work (CTW) provides legal aid services. It implements a number of activities. The list of its activities include conducting human right education sessions, supporting community people to establish a people's organisation, sensitisation of the elite people and establishing a network with national level organisations to deal with the gender 'cases' at courts. As an outcome of these activities, women have become more knowledgeable about their legal rights. Moreover, people's organisations have been founded overseeing informal justice, for making sure that women are receiving proper justice. This paper reveals that a comprehensive approach developed by the NGOs for empowering women legally has been successful in reducing gender-based violence in a patriarchal society of Bangladesh. His main research includes development communication, gender and media, new media and society, health communication and disaster, risk and climate change communication. He is the author of two books, a number of research articles and book chapters that have come out from reputed publishers from home and abroad.