Pakistan, followed by India, Nepal and Bangladesh have all enacted Right to Information law in the past two decades after years of advocacy efforts by civil society groups. And while it’s a key tool for holding governments accountable, its use by poor communities remains restricted.
India’s RTI legislation, considered to be one of the most robust laws in South Asia, remains untapped by poor and marginalised communities as they often have limited access or are unaware of their rights. It could learn from Bangladesh.
Rural women, who stand to benefit from RTI law, are among the least likely to use it.
