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Customary and contemporary resources for women's empowerment in Bangladesh
Authors: Sarah Head, Kathryn M. Yount, Monique M. Hennink, and Claire E. Sterk
Source: Development in Practice, 25(3): 360-74; DOI: 10.1080/09614524.2015.1019338
Topic(s): Education
Gender
Household decision-making
Women’s empowerment
Country: Asia
  Bangladesh
Published: APR 2015
Abstract: In Bangladesh, dramatic social and economic changes are transforming historical forms of patriarchy with various impacts on pathways to women's empowerment. We hypothesised contemporary resources would be more strongly associated with women's empowerment, as reflected in their influence in family decisions. In cross-sectional analysis, we found the contemporary resources of employment and membership in NGOs were most strongly and consistently associated with women's influence in family decisions. Education was only modestly associated, as were customary resources, including age and fertility. Programmatic efforts to enhance women's empowerment should consider the rapidly changing environment and the importance of women's economic participation.