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 Democracy & Governance |
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| Population & Health | Democracy & Governance | Anti-Trafficking | Enterprise Development | Energy |
| Environment | Food Security | Disaster Management | Education | Gender |
- Bangladesh is a signatory to most international human rights conventions, including the
Child Rights Convention and International Labor Organization Convention 182 against the worst forms of child labor.
- Bangladesh's garment industry employs some 1.5 million workers. 85% of them are women. The industry now
accounts for 75% of Bangladesh's export income. Out of 3,000 garment factories, less than 1% has active factory
level trade unions with collective bargaining agreements. Enforcement of labor laws is weak.
- The Muslim Family Ordinances of 1961 established many important legal protections for women. However,
awareness and implementation of these protections are still very limited among both men and women.
- Corruption is a significant problem in Bangladesh. It has been ranked the most corrupt country in the world by Transparency International for the third consecutive year. According to a World Bank study, in the absence of widespread corruption, the country could achieve 2-3% additional GDP growth and twice the per capita income.
Issues and Priorities for Bangladesh:
The 2000 IFES National Survey (PDF)
Anti-Corruption (PDF)
USAID/Bangladesh: Child Labor Summary (PDF)
USAID/Bangladesh: Elections Summary (PDF)
IFES Preliminary Findings of Bangladeshi Voter Survey (PDF)
USAID's Response: Democracy & Governance
USAID improves the lives of Bangladeshis by strengthening selected democratic institutions and making them more responsive to citizen needs. USAID and its partners help local government, parliament, political parties, and human rights organizations to:- build an active constituency for strong elected local government;
- increase political parties' responsiveness to citizen's input; and
- increase recognition of women's and children's rights.
Fostering an Active Constituency for Democracy
USAID builds knowledgeable "champions" for strong local government by reaching out to diverse groups
and fostering informed regional and national debate on local government issues. The goal is to build a
national consensus on local government forms and functions.
To measure citizens' knowledge and attitudes toward democratic practices, USAID will conduct periodic surveys. The baseline survey will be completed in mid-2004.
Elected Representatives at the Local Level
In 2003, USAID helped create associations of elected officials, at the local council (Union Parishad)
and municipality (Pourashavas) levels. The councils promote debate and help identify national priorities
for decentralization. USAID also helps develop links between citizens and local elected officials to
identify priorities, increase funding and monitor service delivery. This includes 23 unions in the Khulna
district that have pledged to increase revenues by 30% in 4 years.
Starting in 2004, USAID and its partners have begun to promote:
- political party reform;
- constituency relations;
- leadership training, particularly for women and youth;
- strong parliamentary committees; and
- a level playing field for the 2007 national elections.
A series of polls and focus groups will be conducted to help political leaders understand public attitudes. They will also encourage political parties to become more responsive to the needs of different constituencies.
Protecting Human Rights
The long-term human rights goal of USAID and its partners is to protect vulnerable groups (especially women and children)
from basic human rights violations. USAID supports Bangladeshi coalitions and human rights organizations in
reducing human rights abuses and influencing public policies on human rights issues. The program improves advocacy
in several areas, including anti-trafficking, violence against women and children's rights. It also develops the
leadership and advocacy skills of human rights organizations. USAID supports:
- public awareness campaigns on women's legal rights;
- access to alternative dispute resolution and/or legal aid for domestic violence cases and other forms of human rights abuses;
- shelters; and
- a major package of anti-trafficking initiatives.
The latter range from research and prevention campaigns to repatriation, counseling and reintegration assistance for survivors. Data collected has been instrumental in the successful prosecution of traffickers. USAID also supports the labor rights of urban garment workers, mostly women from rural areas.
A series of events to help develop a national anti-corruption strategy and support the establishment of an independent anti-corruption commission was launched in November 2003.
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