Legal literacy is defined as the acquisition of critical awareness about rights and the law, enhances the citizens’ ability citizens (particularly marginalized groups) to assert rights and the capacity to mobilize for change.

These include expanded access to legal information through Internet and e-mail; expanded access to clients for screening, obtaining basic client information, referrals, and providing brief advice and services, posting information on the Internet; better case management and data collection, along with automated templates for document creation, reduced process management and administration.

Legal aid is the provision of assistance to people unable to afford legal representation and access to court. Delivery models include: duty lawyers, community legal clinics -through paralegal staff- and payment of lawyers to deal with cases of individuals entitled to legal aid.

The main cases or issues would include GBV, discrimination against women based on inheritance and family laws, child marriages, divorces, dowry-related violence, and discrimination against hijras and differently abled.

In article 27 of the Bangladesh Constitution, 1972 provides that all citizens before law and are entitled to have equal protection of law. Legal aid means the assistance in the legal matters both inside and outside the courts to the poor.

1. Project Background

Asian Development Bank (ADB) has allocated a grant from the Asian Development Fund (ADF) under Grant No. 0805-BAN (SF) for Strengthening Access of Women and Vulnerable Groups in Selected Slums to Improve Water and Sanitation Services and to promote their empowerment as a response against the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. According to SDG 11, the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) is dedicated to ensuring that everyone has access to clean water, sanitary facilities, and affordable urban housing, with a focus on low-income populations and slum residents. The ADF Grant amounting USD 5.0 Million has been included in the additional financing of Dhaka Environmentally Sustainable Water Supply Project (DESWSP) which is being supported by ADB-AIB-EIB-GOB. The project activities funded by the ADF grant will be managed and carried out by the same Project Management Unit (PMU) of DESWSP with the help of 6 (six) Individual Consultants (ICs) and 2 (two) NGOs under the ADF Grant. It has been planned to construct community toilet and bathing Unit in selected Low Income Communities (LICs) under Project area. 

1. Objective of ADF Grant

The major objectives of ADF Grant under DESWSP, Dhaka WASA are as follows:

1. Provide safe, affordable, and sustainable water and sanitation services at community and household level.
2. Support the expansion of the gender equality strategy and the development of disaster management plans of Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWASA) to include the legal empowerment of vulnerable women and groups related to access to water and sanitation services; and
3. Strengthen women’s effective representation in the selected project area in community based structures for greater access to basic services and the elimination of Gender Based Violence (GBV).

Project’s Aim:

To improve access to water and sanitation and promote legal empowerment of women and vulnerable groups in low-income communities (LIC) in DESWSP's commanding and surrounding areas in Dhaka.

Overall Project output:

• 3.1 Access of women and vulnerable groups in selected slums to improve water and sanitation services strengthened,
• 3.2 Sectoral policies, planning and capacity for gender–responsive and socially inclusive responses to WASH challenges strengthened, and 
• 3.3 Participation of women and vulnerable groups in water, sanitation and slum governance strengthened and mechanisms for their legal empowerment development.