“My summer internship with Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) has been going well so far. I’ve gotten to work on a number of interesting projects including research on child marriage, two reports monitoring the implementation of Bangladesh’s new domestic violence law (passed in 2010) and human trafficking law (passed in 2012) that will be published, and updating and reorganizing BNWLA’s Legal Service Delivery Manual used by all lawyers in BNWLA’s 40+ legal service delivery centers located throughout the country. I also had an opportunity to visit BNWLA’s shelter home for victims of violence and attend a session at the Supreme Court. Going forward, my projects will include assisting with a two-day regional trafficking workshop with BNWLA’s partners in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal and conducting comparative research on child marriage legislation in order to make recommendations for new legislation on the topic for consideration by the High Court.

Outside of work, living in Dhaka has been an exciting adventure. My living situation is absolutely ideal. I live in a great little neighborhood that is near an outdoor market and a 15-minute cycle rickshaw ride to the office. When I first arrived, the language barrier was more of a challenge than I was anticipating as most people that I interact with on a daily basis don’t speak much English. Let’s just say my phrasebook has come in handy on more than one occasion.” 

Lindsay is one of 23 HLS students working this summer in 18 countries under the auspices of the Chayes International Public Service Fellowship. Please visit our Chayes Fellowship page to learn more!