Our Community Empowerment (CEP) programme aims to enhance the human and social capital of the poor and marginalised, especially women, so that they are aware of their rights and are empowered to claim their entitlements and resist exploitation. We organise rural communities into democratic institutions called polli shomaj for building awareness and capacity for collective action to better access public resources. We utilise folk art forms such as popular theatre to disseminate social messages to rural communities and to mobilise them against injustice and rights violations. At the same time, we help strengthen local government capacity through sensitisation, training and the formation of forums of elected representatives from all levels. Our objective is to help local government to become more transparent and responsive to the needs of the poorest. We address human rights violations through awareness, prevention and support. We increasingly emphasise the engagement of men to help empower women and prevent violence against them. Our experience shows that the participation of men strengthens women’s rights and helps promote gender Equity.