Polli Shomaj organizations are liberating mechanisms that allow the rural poor to contribute in ways that might not otherwise have been possible. What began as a pilot project within a small Microfinance VO is now one of the most successful instruments of community empowerment in Bangladesh. Over the years, these community service organizations have shown to be effective in mobilizing communities, ensuring accountability, fostering interpersonal trust, building social capital, and developing local infrastructure. Even though Polli Shomaj organizations are still relatively low on the totem pole, villagers now have the opportunity to share their stories, express their opinions, and collectively voice their demands. In place of the absence of power, it is a platform of influence within the political hierarchy. Today, Polli Shomaj organizations continue to be active in helping communities participate in local government activities, access government resources, and engage in social activities.
A Polli Shomaj (PS) is a ward-based, civil society organization (CSO) established within the poor, rural villages of Bangladesh. These community institutions are managed by local village members who work in collaboration with government officials, as well as NGO officers within the Community Institution Building division of Brac’s Community Empowerment Programme (CEP). Polli Shomaj, a term coined by Brac meaning “rural society”, is a community-based program developed by an all-female Microfinance Village Organization (VO) in 1998. The women of this organization wanted to create a distinct community-group, separate from the Microfinance Programme that would empower communities through democratization and capacity-building activities. The group’s objectives would be to address a range of social issues that are particularly germane, and plague community development; these concerns include accessing government resources and targeting social injustice, specifically violence against women. As a result, in 1998 CEP officials joined forces with the VO to form the first Polli Shomaj in Bangladesh. Since then, over thirteen thousand Polli Shomaj organzations have been established in over fifty-five districts of Bangladesh. Today, CEP utilizes Brac’s extensive network of development programs such as Microfinance, Health, and Education, to identify women in poor, rural communities who are interested in implementing a Polli Shomaj. CEP Programme Officers then target fifteen females, on average, living within the same ward, to be trained on Polli Shomaj activities and community institution building; these training sessions are conducted at Brac local offices and include CEP staff who specialize in Polli Shomaj implementation and activities. With assistance from Brac, these women share their teachings with the local community and begin to recruit for Polli Shomaj membership. Once a General Body is established, community members can coordinate together to form their first meeting.
BACKGROUND AND FORMATION
Although CEP both initiates and oversees all Polli Shomaj organizations in Bangladesh, these CSOs are designed to run independently from Brac. Although Brac has not established an official timeline for Polli Shomaj self-sufficiency, organizational autonomy is the ultimate goal. Interestingly however, feedback from Polli Shomaj members demonstrates that these constituents prefer Brac’s continued help and support with all Polli Shomaj functions; some members have even conveyed a strong preference for Brac’s indefinite involvement. Kazi Fattah, Program Coordinator for CEP, shared that one Polli Shomaj member shared their feelings stating, “We just need [Brac] to be there.” It seems that CEP provides the members with a “moral strength,” as Fattah calls it, to fuel organizational success and prosperity. Previously CEP conducted a study evaluating the state of Polli Shomaj organizations that had minimal assistance from Brac. During the study, Brac officials visited Polli Shomajs once during a six-month period, as opposed to being present at each monthly meeting. Results showed that minimal involvement from CEP led these organizations to struggle and be less productive. In turn, Brac has chosen to maintain interaction in all Polli Shomaj activities.
Office Operations and Evaluation
Today, Polli Shomaj evaluations are conducted annually; they are scored on a three-tiered system with marks of “A,” “B,” or “C” for grades very good, good, or poor. Brac officials are in attendance at each Polli Shomaj meeting and are responsible for keeping track of all relevant talking points. CEP Field Organizers (FO) maintain checklists to document all Polli Shomaj organizations, their progress, and any concerns that may arise. From there, District Managers (DM) are the next point of contact. DM’s oversee all FO’s in the district and review their records on Polli Shomaj activities. The DMs then report to a Regional Manager who oversees all CEP-related activities, including Polli Shomaj activities, within 6 to 7 districts.
Regional Managers are responsible for communicating all necessary information to the Head Office in Dhaka, Bangladesh. At the Head Office the CEP Manager as well as the 4 Component Leaders—for each of the four components of CEP—are responsible for providing technical support to programs in the field; these responsibilities are especially relevant of Polli Shomaj since they are a medium by which many other initiatives operate. The CEP Manager and four Component Leaders frequently make trips into the field to observe progress and consult with community members.
MEMBERSHIP
All Polli Shomaj organizations are ward-based structures; this means that each Polli Shomaj consists of members from a single ward. In Bangladesh, wards are units of infrastructure comprised of three to four villages. Of course, this factor does not always mean that there is equal representation from each of the villages within the Polli Shomaj. The composition of each Polli Shomaj is unique, and therefore representation and participation will vary depending on the demographics of each society. Typically, a Polli Shomaj organization consists of 55-60 members, although Brac’s CEP reports that groups can range from a size as small as 30 to as large as 120. Brac does not place a limit on the number of members in a Polli Shomaj. CEP wants Polli Shomaj to remain open and accessible for all community members so that if an individual wants to participate they may. To this point, Kazi Fattah, Program Coordinator for Brac’s Community Empowerment Programme says “it’s not up to us to decide.”
Brac’s ambition is to empower all community members and to foster social capital collectively. If a membership cap is put into effect, it will be a decision agreed upon and enforced by the people. A Polli Shomaj is the “people’s society” and for that reason, important that the people make their own decisions.
Gender and Age Demographics
Although Polli Shomaj organizations are designed to empower women, men are not restricted from participating. However, few men choose to participate. These men can usually be found sitting in the back, unobtrusively, saying little or nothing at all. Although women do not intentionally shun men from the group, they do outnumber their male-counterparts in all cases. Fattah explains that this is largely due to an overall perception held by the communities that these groups are “for women”. Most men in the communities feel that since these meetings target women, are run by women, and include many women, that they are women’s meetings.
This is not necessarily a statement of derogation. In truth, that is what these CSOs are predominantly designed to do. Brac is also not the only organization initiating women’s empowerment groups. There are several other NGOs engaged in village empowerment programs for women. As a result, most men do not actively participate because they are not as encouraged to do so. Time also plays a substantial role in determining men’s participation. Meeting times are scheduled to fit a female agenda, and often occur during the day while most men are at work.Will Polli Shomaj organizations ver be an interface for both genders to collaborate together equally? Only time will tell. For some, there have been small steps in this direction.
However, for now, women’s standing requires the continued support of local NGOs in order to survive and compete within the oppressive patriarchal system that has historically prevented them from participating fairly and equally before. There is no formal age requirement or limit for Polli Shomaj membership. Members range in age from adolescence to older adults. Brac’s CEP department encourages Polli Shomaj organizations to employ an age range of fifteen to fifty-five years for membership, due to developmental, health, and other age-related implications, but ultimately the people decide the qualifications for membership. There is also no limit on the length of time one can serve as a member of the Polli Shomaj General Body. In theory, one could serve for a lifetime. However, the rule differs for the Executive Committee.
General Body and Executive Committee
There are two major bodies within a Polli Shomaj organization: the General Body and the Executive Committee (EC). The General Body consists of all the Polli Shomaj members. The Executive Committee is a total of eleven members consisting of the President, Secretary, Cashier and two Committee Chairpersons for each of the four subcommittees in the General Body; the four subcommittees are Accessing Resources and Services, Family and Community Development, Violence and Injustice, and Participation in Local Infrastructure. Responsibilities of the Accessing Resources and Services Committee can include activities such as accessing funding for students, or identifying appropriate recipients of government safety-net programmes, such as food-aid cards, or allowances for elderly and community members who are disadvantaged. Members of the Family and Community Development Committee are involved in activities such as voter registration, assistance after natural disasters, or skills and professional development training. The Committee on Violence and Injustice is involved in locating incidences of domestic violence, acid violence, child marriage, or other acts of injustice within the community, and engaging in activism and preventative education. Lastly, the committee responsible for Participation in Local Infrastructure encourages and assists community members in becoming active in such activities like joining local organizations, school committees, workshops, marketing campaigns, etc. Please consult the chart below to see the cumulative number of activities engaged in by each committee.
All members of the Executive Body are elected through an open-vote. EC members are decided upon by a show of hands when their names are called and the individual with the highest amount of votes is elected. Many individuals in the rural villages of Bangladesh cannot read or write, which would negate the effectiveness of a ballot system, if it were to be employed. When asked about the threats to confidentiality and anonymity when voting, Brac’s CEP department explained that members do not feel uncomfortable sharing their votes publicly. The system is one that works best for the people’s needs. Once elected each member serves for a three-year term. Although there is no limit to the amount of terms that can be served, no more than two terms can be served consecutively. This rule provides the opportunity for other Polli Shomaj members, or other EC Members, to be engaged in leadership roles or for members to serve in different capacities. Fattah shared that one of the challenges CEP is finding is that sometimes Polli Shomaj organizations respond with some resistance when employing this rule. Often the pushback is due to members’ fondness of their leaders as well as an unwillingness to introduce change.
During these times, Brac will encourage Polli Shomaj organizations to abide by the two-term limit, while still trying to respect the organization’s desires. Learning how to cater to the needs of the Polli Shomaj organizations, while still respecting their autonomy is a delicate balance. Often Brac finds itself playing both a paternalistic and “hands-off” role, which can be difficult to manage. Still, maintaining an open relationship of both structure and cooperation is key to the success of Polli Shomaj organizations.
MEETINGS
General Body and Executive Committee meetings take place monthly on alternating months from one another. The time and date of meetings are usually agreed upon at the previous month’s meeting. Each meeting typically lasts between one and two hours. General Body meetings usually take place around 10:00am BDT during the week, and Executive Committee meetings typically around 3:30 or 4:00pm BDT because these times are convenient for most women. As explained previously, most men work during these times, which also contributes to their frequent lack of participation.
Both the General Body and Executive Committee meetings are run by the Polli Shomaj President. At the Executive meetings the Secretary is responsible for taking notes and writing the agenda for the next meeting. However, at the General Body, this responsibility is carried out by an adolescent girl. These young scribes are usually no younger than fourteen years of age and are typically selected prior to the General Body’s first meeting. In order to qualify for the position, young girls must have the ability to both read and write. In poor, rural villages literacy rates are very low, and many community members do not possess the skills necessary for a secretarial position. Therefore, employing a young girl who can document the meeting minutes is highly desirable. In the past, CEP partnered with Brac’s Education Programme’s Adolescent Development Clubs to recruit adolescent girls to participate in the Polli Shomaj meetings. Adolescent Development Clubs include young girls who have completed schooling to at least the eighth-grade. Although some girls stay in school after this point, unfortunately many drop out. These Clubs serves as an educational platform for adolescent girls to read, write, play games, and receive life skills training. CEP recruits one or two members from the Clubs and trains them how to be a scribe for Polli Shomaj meetings. For each General Body meeting, there is at least one adolescent girl maintaining a log of events. Today, Brac also recruits from outside the Education Programme; in fact, there are less than one thousand girls from Brac’s Education Programme within the thirteen thousand Polli Shomaj organizations nationwide. Brac collaborates with members of the community to identify any adolescent girl who is willing to be present at each meeting and interested in practicing her writing skills. The relationship services both sides; the Polli Shomaj organizations profit from having a community member take notes, and the young girl benefits from getting to work closely with Polli Shomaj leaders. In turn, thousands of adolescent girls are provided with the experience of working in a position of importance, in hopes of becoming future leaders and agents of change.
General Body agendas are usually created by the Executive Committee before the next open meeting. Typically, agendas consist of a list of relevant issues created by Brac, as well as three to four topics decided upon by the EC at their meeting. Brac’s agenda is a list of 50 relevant topics paired with discussion points. This list is the same for all Polli Shomaj organizations. Brac’s agenda is kept in a handbook and includes issues on child marriage, dowry, access to information, etc. This list is based on the prevalence rates of related issues within poor, rural communities as well as the CEP objectives for Polli Shomaj programs. Specific issues are selected based on Brac’s List and included on the agenda. The topics brought up for discussion are based on what the community would like to discuss and the relevancy of these concerns within their respective community. New issues introduced during the General Body meeting can also be raised and made open for discussion.
Polli Shomaj meetings and Executive Committee meetings are both held outdoors in designated public areas within the ward. A mat is placed on the ground for all members to sit upon. Members sit in a semi-circle facing the President, Brac Officials, and any invited guests who sit facing them on the opposite side. An informal attendance is taken at both meetings.
Members go around the circle and say their name one by one. While Executive Committee meetings are kept private, the General Body meetings are open to the public. Polli Shomaj members often encourage non-members to attend and participate in the meeting when able. All meetings continue to take place even during religious holidays, even those that run longer such as Ramadan.
Polli Shomaj organizations do not have a budget. The funds that are used for the program go towards the Brac officials in charge of local meetings. Polli Shomaj organizations can however, request funding from the Union Parishad (UP), the lowest level of local government. A small amount of federal funding is allocated towards the Union Parishad’s budget, which is then further divided amongst specific local government operations, which can include Polli Shomaj initiatives. The UP Open Budget meetings are open to all members of the public. Their meeting location usually varies, but is always held outside in a large publicly designated space. At these meetings, Polli Shomaj members can specifically request funds from the Union Parishad members. Unfortunately however, corruption is not uncommon within the Union Parishad system. Council members have been known to be biased, show favoritism, and give preferential treatment to the issues that are in their best personal interests. This reality has made it difficult for Polli Shomaj organizations to receive funds in the past. Brac’s CEP department is actively involved in advocating against these forms of corruption and inequality, as well as frequently assisting the Polli Shomaj organizations in making sure that no injustices are committed. Furthermore, CEP encourages many Polli Shomaj members to compete for Union Parishad positions in order to empower local communities and remedy governmental transgressions.
CHALLENGES
Brac’s Challenges
Funding continues to be the most demanding challenge for CEP’s Polli Shomaj program. As the largest development organization in the world, Brac’s funding source is heavily dependent on the contributions from private and public sources as well as from individual donors. Currently, Brac has secured the necessary funds for the remainder of the 2015 calendar year. However, funding for the year 2016 still remains unknown. One of Brac’s greatest challenges is effectively communicating CEP’s impact to external stakeholders. Unlike some of Brac’s larger programmes like Microfinance, Education, and Health, which demonstrate effectiveness through large quantitative figures, it is difficult to show CEP’s impact through numbers. How exactly does one calculate the impact of a woman’s life rescued from violence? How do you quantify the outcome of a child’s future that was saved from early marriage? What numerically based methods could ever accurately show the effects of empowerment? In truth, the impact of this program cannot be conveyed through quantitative measurement alone. These results are qualitative; they are anecdotal, emotional, and personal. Therefore, the most effective way to communicate CEP’s impact is to observe, listen, and learn from the stories of beneficiaries. It is not always a numbers game. You realize the impact when you know the people. CEP continues to develop new methods of communication to show that small numbers can translate into life-changing rewards.
System Challenges
There are other challenges engrained within the Bangladeshi power structure that continue to perpetuate systemic inequities and hinder the potential of Polli Shomaj empowerment. The highly politicized nature of Bangladesh government has led to corruption at the Union Parishad level. In turn, Brac officials are continuing to encourage local constituents and Polli Shomaj members to compete for Union Parishad positions. CEP continues to provide the organizational support to encourage members to bargain with the Union Parishad in order to ensure accountability and appropriate transportation of welfare safety nets. One of Brac’s primary goals is to build a realm of opportunities for rural communities to access the resources they need. Even today, CEP is active in linking its Polli Shomajs with other NGOs in order to create a wider network of accessible resources. “We want to connect them with different organizations as possible,” says Fattah. “We want to create a linkage with different service providers, so whenever there’s a problem [Polli Shomaj members] can access the resources they need, whether they come from the local government or NGO services.” Despite all of these challenges, Brac still remains to be a global leader in development work and poverty alleviation.
GOING FORWARD
What is in store for Polli Shomaj organizaitons and Brac’s Community Empowerment Program moving forward? One of CEP’s most tasking endeavors will be the formulation of a Polli Shomaj constitution. Currently, there is no standard constitution employed for Polli Shomaj organizations. The absence of a constitution presents a challenge for many already established Polli Shomaj organizations since government funding cannot be obtained without such a document. In order to apply for government funds, Polli Shomaj organizations must register with the government, which cannot be done without the existence an organizational constitution. That being said, many Polli Shomaj organizations have created their own constitutions in order to become registered. Today, there are over 100 Polli Shomaj constitutions, each one unique to their respective organization. CEP staff is currently in the process of reviewing each of the Polli Shomaj constitutions in an effort to construct a single standard for all Polli Shomaj organizations in the future. The constitution will combine material from already developed constitutions as well as the Polli Shomaj staff manual. CEP hopes to have this completed in the near future.
Polli Shomaj organizations’ dependency on Brac’s assistance is another issue that CEP continues to think very strongly about. Pressures of funding, time, and goal achievement have compelled CEP’s staff to work on devising a new timeline for Polli Shomaj autonomy. CEP wants to focus its efforts on building more Polli Shomaj organizations around Bangladesh, but cannot do so if their manpower remains heavily concentrated on those already formed. “There is one Polli Shomaj that Brac has been overseeing for nearly 15 years,” Fattah states, “at some point, we need to move away.” Developing a plan for Polli Shomaj independence will be one of CEP’s most challenging, as well as important undertakings for Polli Shomaj organizations
moving forward.
moving forward.
The future of the Polli Shomaj initiative is extensive and promising. Polli Shomaj organizations has been and will remains to be the indispensable core of which all programs continue to exist within CEP. Without it, CEP’s interventions would not have been nearly as strong as they are today. These community forums foster empowerment for hundreds of thousands of people across the country and will engender new and exciting opportunities for change in the years to come.
