Bangladesh

For more than three decades, The Carter Center has worked alongside local leaders and communities in Bangladesh to reduce suffering, strengthen democracy, and expand fundamental human rights. From improving maternal and infant health to helping ease political tensions and increasing women’s access to information, the Center’s work has left a lasting impact. Through targeted, community-based efforts and high-level diplomacy — including personal engagement by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter — the Center has helped foster a more peaceful, equitable, and informed society.

Impact

Increased access to information helped women in Bangladesh more fully enjoy their socioeconomic rights in meaningful and transformative ways
Helped main political parties renounce violence and intimidation in the electoral process through a delegation led by President Carter in 2001
Reduced the incidence of neonatal tetanus, or lockjaw, which is a leading cause of infant death during the first seven days of life

Active

Empowerment through Information

Through its groundbreaking Inform Women, Transform Lives campaign, The Carter Center partners with city leaders worldwide to raise awareness about women’s right to access information and to help cities reach women with valuable information and essential municipal services.

Access to this information empowers women with a stronger voice, enabling them to participate in public life, utilize public services, and make more informed decisions for themselves, their families, and their communities. In Bangladesh, the project has partnered with the city of Dhaka North.

Active

Rule of Law

Since 1999, The Carter Center has been actively engaged around the world in advancing the right of access to information — a fundamental human right necessary for the exercise of other essential rights. In 2015, the Center conducted a study that found that women in Bangladesh could not exercise their right to information as easily, frequently, and successfully as their male counterparts.

Our Work and Methods

In 2016 the Center launched a project called Advancing Women’s Right of Access to Information in Bangladesh.

We’ve worked with national and local government to improve women’s access to information to better address gender-related issues.

The project cultivated young champions of women’s rights, engaging youth in fun and interactive boot camps where they learned about governance and gender-sensitive access to information.

Impacts

A legal and social environment that is more enabling of women’s access to information
Clear commitment made by nation and local government to more effectively and equitably provide information to women
Women now more fully enjoy their socioeconomic rights in meaningful and transformative ways

Legacy

Human Rights

Legacy

Democracy

Invited by the government of Bangladesh, The Carter Center and the National Democratic Institute observed the pre- and post-election activities around the October 2001 parliamentary vote, helping to instill confidence among voters and establish a more constructive political process.

Our Work and Methods

President Carter led a five-person mission to Bangladesh, holding intensive meetings with leaders and local officials, journalists, women’s organizations, academics, and others.
Field representatives interviewed more than 175 local governmental and elected officials, as well as political and civic leaders and citizens, about the electoral environment.
After meeting with the Carter-led delegation, the leaders of all the main political parties renounced the use of violence and intimidation and agreed to comply with the code of conduct issued by the Election Commission.
International and domestic observers found the elections to be relatively peaceful and conducted generally in accordance with international standards.

This project ended in 2001.

Related Tags

Inform Women, Transform Lives
Peace
Rule of Law

Legacy

Maternal Health

The Carter Center and the Task Force for Child Survival and Development worked in Bangladesh to reduce the incidence of neonatal tetanus, or lockjaw. Caused by a toxin called Clostridium tetani, maternal and neonatal tetanus is a primary cause of infant death during the first seven days of life in many countries.

Our Work and Methods

The Carter Center, in collaboration with government and local health professionals, studied the beliefs and practices of traditional midwives to improve mothers’ education about the need for immunization.
Studies also evaluated birthing techniques that might affect the risks of neonatal tetanus, such as unclean surgical instruments or the failure of midwives to wash their hands before performing a delivery.

Impacts

The Center helped improve collaboration among local Ministry of Health staff and traditional midwives:

To avoid unsafe birthing and neonatal care practices
To establish antiseptic delivery methods
To refer pregnant women and mothers with histories of neonatal tetanus for immunizations

This project ended in 1992.