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Employment and Empowerment of Rural Poor Women in Mymensingh District of Bangladesh

TT Chowdhury
Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

MS Kowsari
Department of Agricultural Extension Education, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

JA Begum
Department of Agricultural Marketing, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

MS Khan
Department of Rural Sociology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

S Haque
Department of Agricultural Economics, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

T Wahid
Department of Rural Sociology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The study was undertaken to identify the factors influencing women empowerment, calculate empowerment index considering the trend of employment. In doing so, the study utilized the data collected by the field survey from Mymensingh districts of Bangladesh. A total number of 60 women respondents were selected using random sampling technique and were categorized into two groups, employed and non-employed, each group comprised equal number of respondents, i.e., 30 women. Data were analyzed using simple statistical techniques as well as OLS regression analysis. An analysis of the socioeconomic status of the women showed that average monthly income difference between employed and non-employed women was BDT 3916 such high difference in average monthly income enabled 70% of the employed women to be empowered whereas with negligible earnings, only 33% of the non-employed women were empowered. The result of the OLS method suggests that the number of children, age gap between husband and wife and income gap between husband and wife significantly affect women empowerment. The five domains of empowerment index indicated that in case of employed group the highest disempowered women (69.44%) in case of leadership domain followed by Production (35.56%), resource (32.41%), income (32.41%) and time domain (23.15%) and in case of non-employed group the highest disempowered women (35.19%) in case of resource domain followed by production (34.57%), leadership (32.10%), income (30.86%) and time domain (4.94%). Results showed that the employed women are more empowered than non-employed women. Therefore, this study strongly suggests that women should be given all the facilities to get involved with income generating activities.

Keywords: Women empowerment, Employment, Disempowerment index

Location: Morakhola, Mashudabari, Boira, Kewatkhali, Charnilakshia, Kalibari under Mymensingh Sadar Upazila of Mymensingh District

Start Date: 00-01-2015

End Date: 00-02-2015

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Non-commodity: Social status

Objectives:

To identify the socio- economic status of rural poor women, the factors influencing women empowerment and calculate empowerment index considering the trend of employment.

Methodology:

This study purposively selected some villages named Morakhola, Mashudabari, Boira, Kewatkhali, Charnilakshia, Kalibari under Mymensingh Sadar Upazila of Mymensingh District where very poor employed and non-employed rural women were available. To measure the extent of women empowerment considering the new trend of employment, two categories of rural women–employed and non-employed group were selected purposively. Those who fell under the employed group were involved with numerous income generating activities and those who fell under the non- employed group were not engaged in any kind of income generating activities. Simple random sampling technique was used for the selection of sample and both the employed and non- employed group included equal numbers of respondents i.e., 30 women. Primary data were collected during the period of January to February, 2015. By using the prepared interview schedule, primary information was collected regarding the respondent’s household, employment, land and agriculture, income and expenditure, consumption habit, etc. In order to measure the role and extent of women’s involvement in agriculture sector, this study selected 5 areas of query i.e., decision about agricultural production, access to and decision making power over productive resources, control over use of earnings, leadership in the community and time use. As an analytical tool under this study, Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (WEAI) was used to measure women’s empowerment by using five domains, i.e., production, resource, income, leadership and time. In order to precisely calculate the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index, interviewed questions were arranged in a logical sequence and required data were collected through direct interviews by making personal visits to the workplace of the respondents. The data and information collected from field survey, interviews, discussions and communications were scrutinized, classified, edited and coded accordingly. Different computer software packages like Excel and EViews programming were used for analyzing the data. The final results of the analyses were summarized and presented in tabular forms with their meaningful interpretations. The specification of the employed OLS regression model by this study is as follows; Y= α+ β₀ X₁+ β₁ X₂+ β₂ X₃+ ε; Where, Y= Empowered Index X₁= No. of children; X₂ = Age gap between husband and wife X₃ = Income gap between husband and wife α= Intercept; β₀, β₁& β₂= Coefficients of respective independent variables and ε= Error term

Source of Information: Progressive Agriculture 27 (3): 301-310, 2016

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: https://doi.org/10.3329/pa.v27i3.30811

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

According to MDG, it is an important goal to achieve women empowerment. Results of the study showed that by increasing earning capacity of rural women through lower-salary job (cook, cleaner, etc.) can increase women empowerment from 33% to 70%. About 67% disempowered women need to reduce their inadequacy score from 81% of domain under non employed group and about 30% disempowered women need to reduce their inadequacy score from 24% of domain under employed group. The age and income gap between husband and wife and the number of their children are important factors to influence women empowerment. Therefore, decision making power for five domains; resource, production, income, leadership and time should be emphasized to reduce age and income gap between husband and wife and consequently, to increase women empowerment status. The following recommendations may be suggested based on the above analysis to increase women empowerment status. The employed women have stronger position in their families. They can take more decisions, they can enjoy more freedom and they can meet their basic needs with their earned money. Result showed that, the earning women are more empowered than non-earning women. So, the women should get engaged in income generating activities at every level of social status. So rural poor women should be given all the facilities to get involved with income generating activities. Both the groups have given the same opinion that lack of education, age gap, social status, financial problem etc. are the common factors responsible for their state of disempowerment. Though they have said the same reasons, they had mainly emphasized on education. The process of income generation through women’s employment will help to improve the empowerment condition of poor rural women by rising education level. Furthermore, more education facilities will enhance the overall process of ensuring women empowerment by increasing income generation.

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