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Social Forestry for Women Livelihood in the Rural Society of Jessore, Bangladesh

Md. Enamul Kabir*
Natural Resources Management, School of Environment, Resources & Development, The Asian Institute of Technology, P.O. Box 4, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand

A.K.M.A. Bosunia
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

Md. Azharul Islam
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

Runia Mowla
Coordinator (Gender and Informed Choice), Engender Health, House # 52 (New), Road # 15-A (New), Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka 1209, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Women’s rights and privileges are now global issues. Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh has reviewed all its policies and programmes to remove gender discrimination and to bring women in the mainstream of development arenas to warrant their roles are significant. In the very recent past women participation was emphasized in forestry activities in Bangladesh. Social forestry programme is such an important sector where rural poor and destitute women have actively been participating during the last decade. Data were collected from 100 randomly selected women who have been working in the social forestry programme of the Forest Extension Division and two national NGOs namely Jagoroni Chakra and Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) supported by the Social Forestry Extension Circle, Jessore, Bangladesh. This study demonstrated that the social forestry programme contributed for the livelihood improvement of the rural women through their active participation in the programme. Social awareness, health consciousness, family decision making power, and income generation capability built by the social forestry programme for the rural women in Bangladesh. Sustainability of the livelihood for women from social forestry programme would be an issue, need to be addressed in future studies.

Keywords: Livelihood, Rural development, Social forestry, Women participation

Location: The Rural Society of Jessore, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Socio-economic and Policy

Commodity: Agroforestry

Objectives:

It was also experienced that the participation of women in the development process, especially in social forestry programme, could contribute significantly in the socio- economic growth and development of the country. In this way social forestry can play a strategic role to minimize the scarcity of forest resources as well as to establish the women’s right (Kabir, 1993). Hence, the present study intended to investigate the impacts of social forestry for enhancing woman livelihood in the rural society of Jessore district in Bangladesh.

Methodology:

One hundred (married, unmarried, divorced and widowed) women of various ages (15 – 50 years) were selected randomly who have been working in the social forestry programme of Forest Extension Division, and two national NGOs namely Jagoronio Chakra and Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) of Jessore Forest Extension Circle, Bangladesh. Semi structured interview was conducted in 2002 among the samples separately, using a questionnaire. Data were analyzed according to different variables. The changes of life standard of rural women before and after being involved in the social forestry programme with respect to different criteria like income, household decision making, sanitation and drinking water facilities, educational status and social position were compared and presented in graphs and tables.

Source of Information: Khulna University Studies, 8(2): 207-212, 2007

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Development activities can not be fully achieved without the active participation of both men and women. This situation is mainly experienced in third world countries like Bangladesh. Now it has come into realization that women participation and their social acceptability is inevitable in any development initiatives. That’s why many initiatives have been undertaking by the several government and non-government organizations ensuring women’s active participation to uplift their standard of living, social consciousness, physical and mental health, and overall social status. It is very clear from this study that the financial solvency changes the sociocultural behaviors of a family. When a woman becomes an earning member, she eventually becomes a helping hand for her family. In this regard social forestry practice would be a vital tool for the women to work with which will ultimately help improving the rural socioeconomic condition and standard of living.

Knowledge Management: Journal