Marie Michael Library

Making rights work for the poor: Nijera Kori and the construction of "collective capabilities" in rural Bangladesh

Kabeer, Naila

While there is a formal commitment to rights in Bangladesh, the reality for its citizens, particularly the poor, is one of violations as much as rights. Nijera Kori is one of the few organizations that develops the capacity of the poor to mobilise in defence of their rights and in pursuit of justice.  Referring to Nijera Kori's experiences, the paper explores processes of social change and how it characterises donor agency approaches to accountability.