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Nature and impact of women's participation in economic activities in rural Bangladesh: insights from household surveys

Author

Listed:
  • Hossain, Mahabub

    (International Rice Research Institute (IRRI))

  • Bose, Manik Lal

    (International Rice Research Institute (IRRI))

  • Ahmad, Alia

    (Department of Economics, Lund University)

Abstract

Based on household-level data collected in 1987 and 2000 this paper first depicts the patterns and trends in women´s work and secondly, analyses the factors that work behind gender division of labour in rural Bangladesh. An empowerment index is developed from the data on household decision-making in different spheres, and its relationship with women´s work is then explored. The persistent gender division of labour in rural Bangladesh has been found to be associated with both economic factors - wage rates, access to production factors like land, micro credit, infrastructure) and socio-cultural factors - norms and customs regarding women´s mobility and gender role in production and reproduction. Economic activities within the household have been found to have weak impact on empowerment. Two policy implications emerge from the study: 1. Promotion of female education to enable women to take part in market activities in the non-agricultural sector where gender disparity in earnings is less. 2. Investment in infrastructure that can facilitate women´s mobility outside the household as well as can reduce the burden of domestic work.

Suggested Citation

  • Hossain, Mahabub & Bose, Manik Lal & Ahmad, Alia, 2004. "Nature and impact of women's participation in economic activities in rural Bangladesh: insights from household surveys," Working Papers 2004:20, Lund University, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:lunewp:2004_020
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    File URL: http://project.nek.lu.se/publications/workpap/Papers/WP04_20.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Naila Kabeer & Lopita Huq & Muhammad Mahabub Rahaman, 2021. "Material barriers, cultural boundaries: A mixed-methods analysis of gender and labour market segmentation in Bangladesh," WIDER Working Paper Series wp-2021-69, World Institute for Development Economic Research (UNU-WIDER).
    2. Blunch, Niels-Hugo & Das, Maitreyi Bordia, 2007. "Changing norms about gender inequality in education : evidence from Bangladesh," Policy Research Working Paper Series 4404, The World Bank.
    3. Greg Seymour & Maria S. Floro, 2016. "Identity, Household Work, and Subjective Well-Being among Rural Women in Bangladesh," Working Papers id:11520, eSocialSciences.
    4. Bidisha, Sayema Haque & Faruk, Avinno & Mahmood, Tanveer, 2020. "How Women Are Faring in Bangladeshi Labour Market?: Evidences from Labour Force Survey Data," MPRA Paper 99590, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Murphy, Heather M. & McBean, Edward A. & Farahbakhsh, Khosrow, 2009. "Appropriate technology – A comprehensive approach for water and sanitation in the developing world," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 158-167.
    6. Thelma R Paris & Alamgir Chowdhury & Manik Lal Bose, 2004. "Changing Women’s Roles in Homestead Management: Mainstreaming Women in Rural Development," CPD Working Paper 42, Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
    7. Niels-Hugo Blunch & Maitreyi Bordia Das, 2015. "Changing norms about gender inequality in education: Evidence from Bangladesh," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 32(6), pages 183-218.
    8. M. Shahe Emran & A. K. M. Mahbub Morshed & Joseph E. Stiglitz, 2021. "Microfinance and missing markets," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 54(1), pages 34-67, February.
    9. Paris, T. & Manzanilla, D. & Tatlonghari, G. & Labios, Romeo V. & Cueno, A. & Villanueva, D. (ed.), 2011. "Guide to participatory varietal selection for submergence-tolerant rice," IRRI Books, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), number 164421.
    10. Aysha Akter & Nobaya Ahmad & Thahamina Bagum & Md. Monirul Islam & Mohammad Mizanur Rahma & Mohammad Imtiaz Hossain, 2019. "The impact of traditional homestead vegetable cultivation on the improvement of livelihood of rural women in Bangladesh," Asian Journal of Agriculture and rural Development, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 9(2), pages 242-254, December.
    11. Mottaleb, K. & Erenstein, O., 2018. "Gender Differentiated Impacts of Commodity Price Shocks on Households’ Consumption Behavior: A Natural Experiment," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 275915, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    12. Mamun-ur-Rashid, Md. & Gao, Qijie, 2012. "Rural Women in Livestock and Fisheries Production Activities: an Empirical Study on Some Selected Coastal Villages in Bangladesh," Asian Journal of Agriculture and Rural Development, Asian Economic and Social Society (AESS), vol. 2(04), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Heinz, James & Kabeer, Naila & Mahmud, Simeen, 2017. "Cultural norms, economic incentives and women's labour market behaviour: Empirical insights from Bangladesh," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 84316, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ender division of labour; empowerment;

    JEL classification:

    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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