Overview:
This thematic area promotes democratic accountability, social justice, and protection for vulnerable, marginalized groups, particularly women, adolescent girls, and children, through grassroots advocacy, local legal empowerment, and institutional coordination.
Core Objectives:
To build transparent local government institutions (LGIs), eliminate discriminatory practices like child marriage, promote fair electoral processes, and provide accessible, non-violent dispute resolution at the community level.
Key Interventions & Activities:
- Access to Justice & Village Courts: Revitalizing local Salish and official Union Parishad Village Courts under the PAJ (Promoting Access to Justice) project to resolve civil and community disputes affordably without going to formal, expensive courts.
- Child Marriage & Pregnancy Prevention: Mobilizing schools, student volunteer groups, teachers, Imams, Kazis, and local administration to identify, monitor, and legally stop child marriage attempts (e.g., May B Tomorrow project).
- Civic & Voter Engagement: Working as part of national networks (such as the Election Working Group – EWG) to conduct voter education, observer training, voter list updates, and fair election monitoring.
- Gender Equality (WEMAN / GALS): Empowering rural women through the Gender Action Learning System to take part in household financial planning, own property in their name, and curb domestic violence.