Socioeconomic development initiatives and women’s welfare in rural Bangladesh

Abstract: Background: Socioeconomic development initiatives (SDIs) are not only regarded as vehicles for poverty eradication but as promotion of women‟s welfare in terms of their economic independence, empowerment, and safety from domestic violence (DV), particularly in male-dominated low-income countries. It is often assumed that women‟s participation in SDIs will increase their income and independence. However, previous studies have provided inconsistent findings. A few studies have indicated that SDIs may enhance women‟s income, autonomy, health, and safety from DV, while other studies have revealed that women‟s participation in SDIs may increase their workloads, conflict with husbands, and risk of being exposed to DV. Aims: This thesis seeks to answer how SDIs may influence women‟s welfare in terms of their economic independence, workloads, and exposure to DV in rural Bangladesh. It focuses on how gender is reflected in the design and practice of SDIs; women‟s experiences with SDIs; and barriers to and possibilities for women‟s welfare regarding their partaking in SDIs. Data and methods: The thesis is based on four papers incorporating a gender analysis of the contents and practices of two SDIs – a Deep Tube Well (DTW)-based water project (I) and a female-focused project called Rural Mother Center (RMC) (II); women‟s experiences with economic independence, workload and exposure to DV with DTW (I) and RMC (IV); and the barriers to and possibilities for women‟s welfare through RMC (III-IV). Data included RMC documents and interviews with 12 social workers for their professional services (II); 5 key informant interviews, household surveys (n=196), and interviews with 16 married water-stressed women for their experiences with water crises (I); and FGDs and interviews with 48 men for their views on women in SDIs (III), as well as interviews with 17 married women partaking in RMC (IV). Data analysis incorporated descriptive statistics (I), qualitative content analysis (I-III), and grounded theory method (IV). Findings: The studies demonstrate that both DTW and RMC were constituted on an axis of patriarchal gender norms widely prevalent in rural Bangladesh. Results show that DTW supported men‟s irrigation water needs, while women‟s domestic water needs were unaddressed. Though RMC outwardly appeared as women empowering, it lacked adequate gender sensibility. RMC expanded women‟s responsibilities for poverty reduction by maintaining male privilege. Women also experienced further subordination to men in terms of their workload, economic dependency, and exposure to DV through both DTW and RMC. DTW increased women‟s water stress and challenged their possibilities of carrying out homemaking obligations, increasing the risk of wife abuse as a punishment for failure. In relation to RMC, women also experienced male loan control, male misuse of loans, overburden of workload without economic gain, economic dependency on husbands, loan repayment stress, marital conflicts over loan use/misuse, and exposure to DV. However, the studies also indicate that a few women were able to use the loans and trainings for earning an individual income, which enhanced their autonomy, dignity, and marital equality, as well as their safety from DV. The thesis further indicates that traditional gender norms reflected in male privilege (male breadwinnership) as well as female subordination (women‟s confinement to home), lack of gender sensibility in both the design and practice of SDIs, and spousal inconsiderate and dominating behaviors not only constrained women from enhancing economic independence through SDIs but increased their workloads and their risk of DV. On the other hand, the findings also demonstrate that the self-confidence of these women, as well as their strong motivation to earn an income to improve family welfare, created a sense of dignity and desire to be independent. Spousal support of women‟s income-earning activities was shown to be important for benefitting women‟s welfare through participating in SDIs. Conclusion: The findings are consistent with the propositions of the ecological framework, where women‟s welfare through SDIs can be understood from an integrated perspective connecting the individual, relationships, community and societal influences. Results from this thesis demonstrate that SDIs may enable women to transform their traditional gendered positions and become empowered even when prevailing patriarchal societal norms constrain them from fully participating in the SDIs. The results also indicate that when men were involved in the change of patriarchal norms to support women, benefits of the SDIs were indeed substantial. This thesis reveals important policy issues in the SDIs. In order to witness real benefits of SDIs for women‟s welfare, patriarchal gender norms must be addressed and tackled.