Restoring Dignity, Equity, and Opportunity for Those Who Need it Most
Throughout the developing world, many individuals – especially in rural and underserved communities- do not perceive violence or a local of access to education, information and social services as a violation of their basic rights. The experiences of rural people struggling to survive through persistent conflicts, recurring human rights abuses and exploitative situations are rarely heard or documented—let alone shared with others in their community, locally or nationally.
For example, violence against women is often ignored and rarely punished, yet women and girls suffer this fundamental abuse disproportionately – whether in times of war or peace. Similarly, human rights abuses based on caste, religious, ethnic or social divisions are often tolerated as the norm. And increasingly in poor countries, migrants forced to leave their homes in search of adequate work are exploited and denied basic rights as they make their way through uncertain lands.
Equal Access is Changing this Story
Equal Access provides essential knowledge of these basic human rights and how to protect them. Equal Access programs model tolerance and respect by emphasizing listening and dialogue and by providing an inclusive platform where even the most marginalized voices and stories are not only heard but able to affect positive change.
In Cambodia, Our Peaceful Boundaries has helped rural communities protect their land, and Success Starts With You has helped Cambodians understand their civic rights in the newly emerging decentralized democracy. Young girls and boys who listen to Ana Kut have been able to migrate safely and avoid being trafficked into the sex trade or into forced labor. Read more
In Afghanistan, more young girls are in school and less forced into corrective marriages. Read more
In India and Nepal, we educate migrants on their journey cross border so they understand their rights and can protect themselves from exploitation. Read more.
