Despite legislation improving citizens' access to information, many marginalized groups still find access difficult. Can 'infomediaries' offer a solution? Sujoy Dutta investigates.
South Asian countries have made remarkable progress in adopting laws that provide citizens with the right to information. Yet in many instances, information still cannot be accessed at all or is differentiated.
‘Infomediaries’ introduced in Bangladesh through a community empowerment programme have played an essential role in helping marginalized people access information by mediating between communities as information seekers and local governments as information providers.
In this post on ISS blog BlISS, Dr Sujoy Dutta investigates whether such infomediaries help marginalized communities in South Asia and beyond in claiming their right to information.
Read the full post: 'Knowledge is power: how ‘infomediaries’ are helping marginalized communities in Bangladesh claim access to information', 24 January 2023.
About Sujoy Dutta
Dr Sujoy Dutta teaches at Tata Institute of Social Sciences in India. His research publications integrate disciplinary tools from political economy, sociology and public policy, much of which is based on fieldwork-based empirical analysis (in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and some parts of Maharashtra, India).
He holds a doctorate degree from the National University of Singapore and a Master’s degree from the International Institute of Social Studies. Currently, he is undertaking extensive fieldwork in India and Bangladesh to examine the impact of the Right to Information Act on poor households.
Dr Sujoy Dutta
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Bliss is the blog of the International Institute of Social Studies on global development and social justice. It aims to provide a space where research ideas and findings are brought to the development community in a timely way. With the blog, ISS will address different audiences in policy, practice and the public at large.
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