The U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) supports grants from eligible organizations for the upholding of fundamental freedoms and the rule of law in Bahrain.  DRL's objective is to improve and expand the implementation of Bahrain's laws in ways that respect human rights and fundamental freedoms. This includes supporting ways that existing laws and new reforms may focus on respecting human rights and fundamental freedoms and ensuring that existing or draft laws provide protection for those engaged in peaceful political activity in Bahrain. Program outcomes may include:

• Judicial actors applying laws in ways that respect human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression;
• An increase in opportunities for the legal community to engage in advocacy;
• Increasing public awareness of legal rights and fair application of the law
• Working to reform juvenile justice institutions
• Expanding and/or reforn1ing existing laws to integrate human rights standards
• Expanding and developing prisoner reintegration and rehabilitation programs for adults and/or minors, including alternative sentencing.

DRL supports the following approaches

• Apply intersectional approaches including one or more of the above outcomes
• The formation of consortia in order to bring together organizations with varied expertise to propose a more comprehensive, inclusive and integrated program design.
• Design demand-driven and locally led to the extent possible
• Design and deliver training or capacity-building for local civil society
• Include consultative discussions with relevant stakeholders, including government actors where appropriate, to ensure a participatory and needs-based approach.
• Engage Bahraini experts and institutional partners.
• Advancing equity and support for underserved and underrepresented communities
• Strategies for integration and inclusion of individuals / organizations / beneficiaries that can bring perspectives based on their religion, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, national origin, age, genetic information, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, political affiliation, or veteran's status.

Community-based and locally driven approaches include

• The creation of opportunities for beneficiaries to apply their new knowledge and skills in practical efforts
• Solicitation of feedback and suggestions from beneficiaries when developing activities in order to strengthen the sustainability of programs and participant ownership of project outcomes
• Input from participants on sustainability plans and systematic review of the plans throughout the life of the project, with adjustments made as necessary. This includes systematic follow up with beneficiaries at specific intervals after the completion of activities to track how beneficiaries are retaining new knowledge as well as applying their new skills.
• Ensure the participation of all people as a strategy for implementation. Integrate inclusion strategies to enhance programmatic impact.
• Joint identification and definition of key concepts with relevant stakeholders and stakeholder input into project activities