Quarterly Performance Management Report: Protecting Human Rights Program

The program aims to reduce domestic violence and related human rights abuse incidents in Bangladesh. To achieve this goal, PHR works in partnership with the Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), as well as 11 local partners through sub-recipient grants. The program is designed around four Intermediate Results (IRs) relevant to USAID, which include enforcing key domestic violence and human rights legislation and policies, increasing the use of formal and informal justice systems by human rights survivors, increasing support services to human rights abuse survivors, and improving public awareness on human rights issues. The program consists of five major components: advocacy of legislative reform and enforcement to reduce domestic violence, capacity building of key stakeholders involved with the protection and promotion of human rights, increasing access to justice for survivors of human rights abuses, providing survivor services for the survival of victims of domestic violence and human rights abuses, and building mass awareness and implementing educational campaigns on domestic violence and other human rights abuses. During the reporting period from January 1-March 31, 2014, PHR conducted a total of 12 advocacy meetings at the local and national level, reaching 386 participants. Seven UHRAF meetings were also held, attended by 161 individuals. As a result of these meetings, membership in service networks was expanded to provide wider support to survivors of domestic violence and other human rights abuses at the community level. PHR also organized five judges' orientation sessions on the Domestic Violence (Protection and Prevention) Act and Rules and its implementation, with a total of 159 judges participating. Additionally, 17 human rights defender champions were selected and awarded in the reporting quarter. Under its capacity building initiative, PHR conducted 98 trainings, covering 2,275 participants. These trainings aimed to build the capacity of key stakeholders involved with the protection and promotion of human rights. The program also worked to increase access to justice for survivors of human rights abuses, providing survivor services for the survival of victims of domestic violence and human rights abuses, and building mass awareness and implementing educational campaigns on domestic violence and other human rights abuses. The program's geographic focus is on 102 unions and eight upazilas of six districts in Bangladesh, including Barguna, Bogra, Chittagong, Dinajpur, Jessore, and Sylhet. The program's timeframes are from January 1-March 31, 2014, which is the fourth quarter of Year Three. The program's recommendations include continuing to build partnerships and alliances to foster preventive, protective, and legal human rights measures, and developing linkages between and among local and national government representatives, non-governmental organizations, civil society, and community leaders. PHR's partnerships and alliances include working with the Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers' Association (BNWLA), the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), and 11 local partners through sub-recipient grants. The program's management structure includes a Program Director, a Chief of Party, and a Project Management Team. The program's budget and financial management are overseen by the USAID/Bangladesh office. The program's lessons learned and actions to be taken include continuing to build the capacity of key stakeholders involved with the protection and promotion of human rights, increasing access to justice for survivors of human rights abuses, and providing survivor services for the survival of victims of domestic violence and human rights abuses. The program also aims to continue building mass awareness and implementing educational campaigns on domestic violence and other human rights abuses.