Voices From the Margins Building Evidence for Inclusive Policy Responses to Covid 19 in Bangladesh

The Covid-19 pandemic is not only posing grave health risks, but is also proving to be a global humanitarian crisis, the effects of which are expected to run deep and last long. However, it is fair to say that we are all caught in the same storm but not in the same boat. Due to historical, political and structural reasons, marginalised populations face a familiar conundrum, but this time around, with immediate and devastating consequences. They are most affected by the pandemic, yet their voice and agency are barely represented in policy making spaces and processes which continue to be top-down and reductionist. With a prolonged crisis like Covid19, the compact between the state and citizens, especially with those at the margins, plays a critical role in shaping responses and crafting policies to mitigate the debilitating effects in an inclusive and sustainable manner. As an organisation committed to the principle of social justice, the Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ), Brac University is implementing the research project “Voices from the Margins and Inclusive Policy Responses to Covid-19 Pandemic” funded by and in partnership with Covid Collective platform of the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex and Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), UK. Based on a representative household panel of marginalised groups in Bangladesh, the project aims to create an information data-loop to inform and influence public policies and state responses on Covid-19 related relief, recovery and resilience measures. The project aims to identify and fill the gaps between how Covid-19 responses have been designed, and what people’s needs, perceptions, and aspirations are, especially, that of the marginalised. It builds on, and complements recent research initiatives of the Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ), Brac University that seek to understand the impact of Covid-19 on communities at the margins through the lenses of social justice and equity. The key findings from the first panel survey have been validated by a panel of experts and policy influencers working in the relevant fields. The panel also provided inputs to CPJ to identify key policy gaps and frame specific recommendations. This policy brief, the first in a series, presents key findings along with the identified gaps in policies to address the needs of the marginalised. CPJ, Brac University will also be presenting the findings as live feedback through a public-facing web-based dashboard to help inform and influence policy making.