i

Research Project Report

On
The Role of World Vision Bangladesh in Women Empowerment:
A Study on Poor Rural Women of Mymensingh District

Submitted for the Partial Fulfillment of the requirements for

CEMPA Degree

Submitted by

Assutush Rema
Roll No-11-2-71-812-083
Commonwealth Executive MPA programme

School of Business
Bangladesh Open University
Contact Number: +8801730356639

Project Guide

Dr. Md. Serazul Islam

Associate Professor
School of Business
Bangladesh Open University
Gazipur-1705
Contact Number: 01712937189

Submitted Through

Dr. Md. Serazul Islam

Coordinator, CEMBA/CEMPA Programme
Dhaka Study Centre, BOU

08 December, 2016
 ii

Letter of Transmittal
December 08, 2016
The Coordinator
School of Business
Bangladesh Open University

Subject: Submitting Research Project Report on ―The Role of World Vision

Bangladesh in Women Empowerment:” A Study on Poor Rural Women
of Mymensingh District.

Dear Sir
With due respect, it is my great pleasure to inform you that I have completed my
research project report on ―The Role of World Vision Bangladesh in Women
Empowerment:” A Study on Poor Rural Women of Mymensingh District with the
guidance and supervision of my honorable teacher & guide Md. Shahidul Islam Fakir
assistance professor of Jagannath University & Dr. Md. Serazul Islam, Associate
Professor, Bangladesh Open University.

It was certainly a great opportunity for me to work on this area to actualize my

theoretical knowledge in the practical arena. Although the research project report is
not fully professional, but I believe that it is a comparative one.
I would like to thank you for giving me the authorization to do such a study. To
collect necessary information, I had to faced different authorities, different situations
which have enriched my knowledge.
I will be very much pleased and grateful to you, if you consider my report with my
limitations. Any kinds of suggestion will be cordially accepted.
Sincerely yours

Assutush Rema
SID# 11-2-71-812-083
CEMBA/CEMPA Program
School of Business
Bangladesh Open University
Contact# +08801730356639
E-mail: [email protected]
 iii

ReseaRcheR’s Declaration

I do hereby solemnly declare that the Research Project Report titled ‗The Role of
World Vision Bangladesh in Women Empowerment:” A Study on Poor Rural
Women of Mymensingh District is an original research work completed by me under
the guidance and supervision of Md. Shahidul Islam Fakir, Assistant Professor,
Jagannath University, Dhaka & Dr. Md. Serazul Islam, Associate Professor,
Bangladesh Open University.

It is neither copied out from any body‘s work nor published fully or partly in any
journal in Bangladesh or outside Bangladesh, but data have been taken from primary
and secondary sources like field survey and internal publications of World Vision
International and World Vision Bangladesh & others. Moreover I do acknowledge
that to do this research project report I have to gone through lots of books and journal
for literature review and for secondary data and got help from these books and journal
which I have mentioned as data sources.

I would like to ensure that this work has not been submitted to any department or
institute for any degree or diploma in any form in Bangladesh or in abroad.

Sincerely yours

Assutush Rema
SID# 11-2-71-812-083
CEMBA/CEMPA Program
School of Business
Bangladesh Open University
Contact# +08801730356639
E-mail: [email protected]
 iv

supeRvisoR’s certificate

I have the pleasure to certify that the Research Project Report entitled ‗The Role of
World Vision Bangladesh in Women Empowerment:” A Study on Poor Rural
Women of Mymensingh District‘ by Assutush Rema is the candidate‘s own
achievement and is not a conjoint work.

I also certify that I have gone through the draft of the report thoroughly and found it
satisfactory for submission to the School of Business, Bangladesh Open University in
partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of CEMBA/CEMPA.

I wish him every success in his life.

Dr. Md. Serazul Islam

Associate Professor,
Bangladesh Open University.
&
Guide & Supervisor of the Project Paper
 v

Acknowledgement

The topic for this project emerged from discussion with my course teacher Professor
Shanti Narayan Ghosh & Prof. Dr. Mayenul Islam Coordinator of
CEMBA/CEMPA Program deserves special thanks for their encouragement, support
and suggestions in this project work.

The completion of this project would not have been possible without the able
guidance, constructive suggestions and painstaking efforts of my research supervisor
Assistant Professor Md. Shahidul Islam Fakir & Dr. Md. Serazul Islam, Associate
Professor, Bangladesh Open University. They were never tired of assisting me for any
length of time. Whenever I was facing any problem, they appeared in the scene as a
rescuer. Their untiring efforts for assisting and guiding me were of immense help for
accomplishment of this study. To them my debts are unlimited and I express my
deepest gratitude. It was a pleasing experience to work under their supervision.

I would like to thank the librarian of Dhaka Public Library for their warm Co-
operation.1 must express my heartiest gratitude to WVB authority and its employees
of my study area for their co-operation.

My friends, family and colleagues also deserve special thanks for their support and
sacrifice during the time of this study.

Last but not least, I acknowledge my sincere gratitude to all individual who have
rendered their support to me throughout the study. Finally I am grateful to almighty
God for giving me the ability of everything that I have done.

Sincerely yours

Assutush Rema
SID# 11-2-71-812-083
CEMBA/CEMPA Program
School of Business
Bangladesh Open University
Contact# +08801730356639
E-mail: [email protected]
 vi

Table of Contents
Chapter Title Pages

Title Page i
Letter of Transmittal ii
Researcher‘s Certificate iii
Supervisor‘s Certificate iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of Contents vi
List of Table viii
List of Figures ix
Acronyms x
Executive Summary xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1-7
1.1 Statement of the Problem 2
1.2 Rationality of the study 2
1.3 Objectives of the Study 5
1.4 Scope of the Study 5
1.5 Theoretical framework of the study 6
1.5.1 Sociological important of the study 6
1.5.2 Women in Development (WID) 6
1.5.3 Gender and development (GAD) 7
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 8-15
2.1 Definition of Concept & Terms used 9
2.1.1 Empowerment 9
2.1.2 Understanding Power 11
2.2 NGO 12
2.2 Related Studies, Documents, Activities of WVB and other
NGOs 12
CHAPTER THREE: AN OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL CONDITION OF
WOMEN AND WORLD VISION BANGLADESH 16-28
3.1 The Women of Bangladesh and Their social Life 17
3.1.1 Current Poverty and Women in Bangladesh 18
 vii

3.1.2 Health Condition of Women and Their Health Awareness

Knowledge 18
3.2 ABOUT WORLD VISION 19
3.2.1 World Vision Approaches 20
3.2.2 Child Well-being Aspirations and Outcomes 20
3.3 WORLD VISION BANGLADESH 22
3.3.1 Improve health status of mothers and children 22
3.3.2 Improve access and quality to education 22
3.3.3 Ensure children are protected and cared for 23
3.3.4 Create economic opportunities for the poor 25

CHAPTER FOUR: METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY 27-34

4.1 Methodology 28
4.2 Sample Population and Choice of respondents 29
4.3 The source of data and Data collection technique 29
4.3.1 Development of Primary Data Collection 30
4.3.2 Primary Data Collection Procedures 30
4.3.3 Pilot Survey 31
4.4 Data Processing and Analysis 32
4.5 Reliability and Validity 32
4.6 Duration of the Field Study 32
4.7 Descriptive Statistics 32
4.8 Limitation of the Study 33
CHAPTER-FIVE ANALYSIS AN INTERPRETATION OF THE DATA 34-46
5.1 Introduction 35
5.2 Personal, Demographic and family related, information of
the respondents 35
5.3 Increased income and it impact on the life of women 37
5.4 Decision making and bargaining power within the household 39
5.5 Challenge and Change of the existing gender roles 41
5.6 Access of resource and control over on it 44
CHAPTER-SIX CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 47-50
6.1 Conclusion 48
6.2 Recommendation 50
References 51
Appendix 54
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List of the Tables Included in the Study Report

Table No Description Pages No

Table 3.1 Child Well being outcome 21

Table 4.1: Research Indicators of Women‘s Empowerment 28
Table 4.2: Sampling Distribution across Villages 29
Table-5.1 Distribution of the respondents according to age group 35
Table 5.2: Distribution of respondents according to the education level 36
Table 5.3: Respondents having school going children 40
Table 5.4: Positive change in several sectors of the respondents 45
Table 5.5: Distribution of the respondents according to having their Asset 48
Table: 5.6: Distribution of the respondents according to having land by their
own name 46
 ix

List of the Figures Included in the Study Report

Figure No. Descriptions Pages

Figure No. 5.1 Marital status of the respondents 36
Figure No. 5.2 Comparism income status of respondents between before
inclusion in WVB & during study 37
Figure No. 5.3 Savings mentality of the respondents 38
Figure No. 5.4 Decision Maker Regarding Schooling of children 40
Figure No. 5.5 Comparism of occupational status 42
Figure No. 5.6 Comparism of Awareness level of respondents 44
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Acronyms
ABP : Annual Business Plan
ADP : Area Development Program
BRAC : Building Resources Across Communities
CARE : Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere
CBO : Community Based Organization
CCA : Climate Change Adaptation
CHN : Child Health Now
C-IMCI : Community-Integrated Management of Childhood Illness
CLTS : Community-Led Total Sanitation
CWBT : Child Well Being Target
DG : Development Group
EAD : Economic and Agriculture Development
EFA : Education for All
FBO : Faith Based Organization
GAD : Gender and Development
GO : Government
HEA : Humanitarian and Emergency Affairs
IP : Internal Process
KPI : National Key performance Indicators
NOSM : National Office Senior Management
LEAP : Learning though evaluation and accountability Planning
MOU : Memorandum of Understanding
NGO : Non Government Organization
NO : National Office
NOSM : National Office Senior Management
P&C : People & Culture
PD hearth : Positive deviance Hearth
PNS : Private non sponsorship
SCM : Supply Chain Management
SIP : Strategy Implementation Plan
SMC : School Management Committee
SMT : Senior Management Team
SO : Strategic Objective, Support Office
UN : United Nation
UNDP : United Nation Development Program
UP : Union Parishad
WASH : Water Sanitation & Hygiene Promotion
WID : Women in Development
WV : World Vision
WVB : World Vision Bangladesh
YICF : Infant and Young Child Feeding
 xi

Executive Summary
The rise of the NGOs in the global context is identified as an important phenomenon,
which has implication for the development prospects of the poor. In recent years, all
the developmental sectors like to incorporate women‘s participation in development.
But different social and religious values, beliefs, norms, prejudice have kept the
women far away such development. To improve this fallen position and status of
women many development organizations like World Vision Bangladesh (WVB) are
working together with the government. WVB is working for positive change of
poverty stricken women and children. This Research Project Report is on the role of
World Vision Bangladesh for women empowerment: a study on poor rural women of
Mymensingh district. Bangladesh is a developing country and the half of the total
population is women but in this country women are exploited in various sectors.
There are no equal rights in different sectors. In this present situation the women
empowerment is very important for development. So without empowerment of
women the development is speculative. For developing purpose women's'
participation in political, economical and social sectors is essential. In this country
many non-government organization such as BRAC, RDRS, CARE, WVB are
working for women empowerment. This research project report makes an attempt to
find out the problem behind women empowerment and how WVB plays role for
women empowerment.
 1

CHAPTER-ONE

INTRODUCTION
 2

Introduction
1.1 Statement of the Problems
Among the poor in rural Bangladesh, system of patrilineal descent, patriarchal
residence interact to isolate and subordinate women. Women‘s access to position of
influence and power is limited. Their occupational choices are narrower and their
earnings lower than those of men and they must struggle to reconcile activities outside
the home with their traditional role. Illiteracy low life expectancy, low rate of labor
force participation no ownership of land, higher rate of unemployment, high fertility,
mortality and morbidity, form a vicious circle which adversely affection women in
Bangladesh. But, the need for empowerment of women in Bangladesh arises from this
harsh social scenario.
Women herself has neither enough time for herself nor sufficient food to eat as she
has work to from dawn to dusk. She generally depends on the leftovers after every
one in the family has finished his/her meal. There is hardly any nutrition in the food.
Thus, she is a perpetual victim of malnutrition and ill health. There is none to look
after her when she is sick but she has to nurse all the members during their illness.
Sometimes they experience some health care facilities during their pregnancy period.
They take prenatal care from different sources, assisted by somebody during delivery,
receives TT injections etc. Due to lack of knowledge about health issues, they are not
concerned about child immunization, source of drinking water, use of sanitary latrine
etc.
Thus as a whole, this research, is an assessment of women empowerment by
exploring the points that show how rural women‘s are empowered by different
intervention like economic development, health, education, Income generation
activities, employment opportunity creation and in what ways their economic, social
status and also their awareness about different health issues have improved.

1.2 Rationality of the Study

Women empowerment is now a widely discussed issue. Many sociologist,
physiologist, and researcher have done their research on women empowerment but the
role of World Vision Bangladesh for women empowerment is conducted firstly by
me. Nobody work on this topic before this project it is an original work. It will be
 3

helpful for social and national sector. By this research project people will learn about
the role of World Vision Bangladesh for women empowerment. But it is hope that
many non-government organizations will involve them for women empowerment by
taking program. It is necessary to conduct another research based on this topic

Poverty has a stronger impact on women, and vice versa, empowering women results
in greater and faster progress in poverty reduction. The greater proportion of women
suffering from various forms of poverty is linked to their unequal access to education
to productive resources and to control of assets and in some cases, to unequal rights in
family and also in society. Their health condition is not so fine and due to lack of
knowledge about health and immunization, they bear many diseases during pregnancy
and their children do not bear good health.
Most women across the globe rely on the informal work sector for an income. If
women were empowered to do more and be more, the possibility for economic growth
becomes apparent. Empowering women in developing countries is essential to reduce
global poverty since women represent most of the world‗s poor population.
Eliminating a significant part of a nation‗s work force on the sole basis of gender can
have detrimental effects on the economy of that nation. In addition, female
participation in counsels, groups, and businesses is seen to increase efficiency. This
study shows the impact women can have economic benefits of family and society. If
implemented on a global scale, the inclusion of women in the formal workforce, it
will increase the economic output of a nation. Therefore, women can also help
businesses growth and economies prosper if they have, and if they are able to use, the
right knowledge and skills in their employment. Defining empowerment is not an
easy task because it includes a lot of things within itself. Empowerment refers to
increasing the spiritual, political, social or economic strength of individuals and
communities. Empowerment is probably the totality of the following or similar
capabilities:
 Having decision-making power of their own
 Having access to information and resources for taking proper decision
 Having a range of options from which you can make choices (not just yes/no,
either/or.)
 Ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making
 Having positive thinking on the ability to make change
 4

 Ability to learn skills for improving one's personal or group power.

 Ability to change others‗ perceptions by democratic means.
 Involving in the growth process and changes that is never ending and self-
initiated
 Increasing one's positive self-image and overcoming stigma
UN Women and the United Nations Global Compact (2013) have given some
principles of women empowerment. These are:
 Establish high-level corporate leadership for gender equality
 Treat all women and men fairly at work—respect and support human rights
and nondiscrimination
 Ensure the health, safety and well-being of all women and men workers
 Promote education, training and professional development for women
 Implement enterprise development, supply chain and marketing practices that
empower women
 Promote equality through community initiatives and advocacy
 Measure and publicly report on progress to achieve gender equality
Various Government and non-government organizations (NGO‘s) started to recognize
the causes and the effect of rural poverty and have started taking up modest operations
through various development organizations to create employment, especially for rural
poor women aiming to uplift their economic and social condition. Some credit and
saving organizations provide educational and training along with confidence and
capacity building to target group. Some others provide health, sanitation facilities. But
sometimes, the intervention of NGOs including credits program is not the answer of
empowerment and some other intervention made it participants dependent.

Empowerment of women and gender equality are interrelated. Gender equality

implies a society in which women and men enjoy the same opportunities, outcomes,
rights and obligations in all spheres of life. Equality between men and women exists
when both sexes are able to share equally in the distribution of power and influence;
have equal opportunities for financial independence through work or through setting
up businesses; enjoy equal access to education and the opportunity to develop
personal ambitions. A critical aspect of promoting gender equality is the
empowerment of women, with a focus on identifying and redressing power
imbalances and giving women more autonomy to manage their own lives. Women's
 5

empowerment is vital to sustainable development and the realization of human rights

for all.

But, there has not been much study on whether the positive or negative impact of
NGO different intervention for empowerment of rural women. The current study is an
independent research that examines the impact and effectiveness of WVB programs in
empowering the rural women. It also analyzes their current socio-economic situation,
their awareness about health, child immunization.
Thus, it could be an interesting research issue to explore the various aspects of
different intervention of World Vision Bangladesh to see how they do and how they
could affect empowerment. Also this study is expected to add a new dimension to
improve the health condition and also increase the awareness about health. Such an
analysis could allow policy makers to design appropriate interventions for
empowerment and to increase their health awareness knowledge of rural women in
Bangladesh.

1.3 Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of the study is to analysis the role of World Vision Bangladesh for
rural development by uplifting of economic conditions of rural women. However the
specific objectives of the study are as follows.
1. To study the socio-economic status of rural women in Bangladesh..
2. To investigate the social mobility of the NGOs beneficiaries.
3. To analyze the contributions of the World Vision Bangladesh in employment
and income generation and resource mobilization.
4. To what extent have poor women been empowered and how have this been
achieved.
5. To identify the role of World Vision Bangladesh for women empowerment.
1.4 Scope of the Study
The growth of and its policy towards women empowerment have been studied with
particular emphasis on the rural women development. There are many NGOs in
Bangladesh. World Vision Bangladesh is one of the renowned INGOs which working
in 84 program locations and impacting the lives of around 5 million peoples (by
service) of 35 districts. The study has covered only 1 ADP (Area Development
Programme) office‘s working area of World Vision Bangladesh Mankon union unders
 6

Muktagacha Upazila in Mymensingh district. But all village members in concerned

area have not included here, only 50 program participants and 5 World Vision
Bangladesh official personnel had the opportunity to express their opinion from the
various point of views.

1.5 Theoretical framework of the Study

There are many sociologist and theorist those who are given theory on women
empowerment. In this regards the following theory is interrelated with women
empowerment and it is an appropriate theory for that.

1.5.1 Sociological Importance of the Theory:

The economic development of a country aims to increase the well-being and quality
of the population through growth with social justice. Equal opportunities for women
and men are important. It is now an accepted truth without the contribution and
participation of women, accelerated economic growth, poverty alleviation, family
well being and employment creation cannot be achieved. So, we have to study about
the problem and future of women empowerment. As a result there are different
perspectives with which status of women and analyzed and within each of these
gender inequalities development of women entrepreneurs

1.5.2 Women in Development (WID)

It is welfare approach for women development emerged during 1970s. Its basic goal
is to integrate women into global processes of economic, political and social growth.
The WID approach is based on the assumption that gender relations and
discriminations will change naturally if women gain more economic and political
power. Its emphasis is on women's condition as opposed to position. (Young: 1987).

1.5.3 Gender and Development (GAD):

The Gender and Development (GAD) perspective emerged in the late 1980s as
response to the prevailing Women in Development (WID) approach. The Gender and
Development (GAD) approach was developed as a response to the failure of WID
projects to effect qualitative and long-lasting changes in women‘s social status. GAD
focuses on social, economic, political and cultural forces that determine how men and
women participate in, benefit from, and control project resources and activities
 7

differently. This approach shifts the focus from women as a group to the socially
determined relations between women and men.
The GAD/GID approach promotes a development process that transforms gender
relations in order to enable women to participate on an equal basis with men in
determining their common future. The emphasis has shifted to the more strategic
needs of women, leading to a sharpening of the gender focus of preparatory
analysis. Although the approach emphasizes the importance of women‘s collective
organization for self empowerment, the target groups are still primarily women
 8

CHAPTER-TWO

REVIEW OF PREVIOUS STUDIES

 9

REVIEW OF PREVIOUS STUDIES

2.1 Definition of Concept & Terms Used
2.1.1 Empowerment
The verb empower‘ has been defined in the Webster‘s II New Riverside University
Dictionary and Funk and Wagnall‘s Canadian College Dictionary as to ―invest with
legal power‖, to ―authorize‖ and to ―enable‖

The term empowerment covers a vast landscape of meanings, interpretations,

definitions and disciplines ranging from psychology and philosophy to the highly
commercialized self-help industry and motivational sciences.
Sociological empowerment often addresses members of groups that social
discrimination processes have excluded from decision-making processes through - for
example - discrimination based on disability, race, ethnicity, religion, or gender.
Empowerment as a methodology is often associated with feminism:

Keller and Mbwewe (1991) Empowerment is a process whereby women become able
to organize themselves to increase their own self-reliance, to assert their independent
right to make choices and to control resources which will assist in challenging and
eliminating their own subordination. Self-reliance, choices, control over resources.

Oxfam (1995) Empowerment involves challenging the form of oppression that

compel millions of people to play a part in their society on terms which are
inequitable, or in ways which deny their human rights. Oppression, inequality and
human rights.

Rowlands (1995) Empowerment is not only about opening up access to decision

making but also must include processes that lead people to perceive themselves as
able and entitled to occupy that decision-making space. Participation of the decision
making process.

Balk (1997) established the fact that in a patriarchal society like Bangladesh, women
are ascribed a lower status as men who have the sovereign power to control
households and society as a whole, while women are often secluded in their homes.
 10

From their research of Bangladesh, Schular and Hashemi (1993) Hypothesised that
―the process of empowerment should weaken the systemic basis of women‘s
subordination‖. They identified six hierarchy of domains in which women have
traditionally been subordinated such a sense of self and vision of a future mobility and
visibility, economic security, status of decision making power household, ability to
interact effectively in the public sphere and participation in non family groups.

Batliwala (1994) defined empowerment as ―the process of challenging existing power

relation and gaining greater control, over the source of power‖ According to her
women‘s empowerment is seen as ―the process and result of process‘ of a)
challenging the ideology of male domination and women‘s subordination; b) enabling
women‘s to gain equal access to and control over resource ( materials, human and
intellectual; and c) transforming the institution ( family, education, religion, media so
on) and structure (legal, political, economic and social) through which the ideology
and practice of subordination is reinforced and reproduced.

Empowerment is a construct shared by many disciplines and arenas: community

development, psychology, education, economics, and studies of social movements
and organizations, among others. How empowerment is understood varies among
these perspectives. In recent empowerment literature, the meaning of the term
empowerment is often assumed rather than explained or defined. Rapport (1984) has
noted that it is easy to define empowerment by its absence but difficult to define in
action as it takes on different forms in different people and contexts. Even defining
the concept is subject to debate. Zimmerman (1984) has stated that asserting a single
definition of empowerment may make attempts to achieve it formulaic or
prescription-like, contradicting the very concept of empowerment.

A common understanding of empowerment is necessary, however, to allow us to

know empowerment when we see it in people with whom we are working, and for
program evaluation. According to Bailey (1992), how we precisely define
empowerment within our projects and programs will depend upon the specific people
and context involved.

In sum, empowerment is a participatory process where by using various resources

(financial resources, knowledge, skill, technology etc.), women are able to achieve
 11

control over their lives, resources, make more choices and options which they do not
have before.

2.1.2 Understanding Power

At the core of the concept of empowerment is the idea of power. The possibility of
empowerment depends on two things. First, empowerment requires that power can
change. If power cannot change, if it is inherent in positions or people, then
empowerment is not possible, nor is empowerment conceivable in any meaningful
way. In other words, if power can change, then empowerment is possible. Second, the
concept of empowerment depends upon the idea that power can expand. This second
point reflects our common experiences of power rather than how we think about
power. To clarify these points, we first discuss what we mean by power.

Power is often related to our ability to make others do what we want, regardless of
their own wishes or interests (Weber, 1946). Traditional social science emphasizes
power as influence and control, often treating power as a commodity or structure
divorced from human action (Lips, 1991). Conceived in this way, power can be
viewed as unchanging or unchangeable. Weber (1946) gives us a key word beyond
this limitation by recognizing that power exists within the context of a relationship
between people or things. Power does not exist in isolation nor is it inherent in
individuals. By implication, since power is created in relationships, power and power
relationships can change. Empowerment as a process of change, then, becomes a
meaningful concept.

Grounded in an understanding that power will be seen and understood differently by

people who inhabit various positions in power structures (Lukes, 1994), contemporary
research on power has opened new perspectives that reflect aspects of power that are
not zero-sum, but are shared. Feminists (Miller, 1976; Starhawk, 1987), members of
grassroots organizations (Bookman &Morgen, 1984), racial and ethnic groups
(Nicola-McLaughlin & Chandler, 1984), and even individuals in families bring into
focus another aspect of power, one that is characterized by collaboration, sharing and
mutuality (Kreisberg, 1992).

Researchers and practitioners call this aspect of power "relational power"(Lappe &
DuBois, 1994), generative power (Korten, 1987), "integrative power," and "power
 12

with" (Kreisberg, 1992).This aspect means that gaining power actually strengthens the
power of others rather than diminishing it such as occurs with domination/power.
Kreisberg has suggested that power defined as "the capacity to implement"
(Kreisberg, 1992:57) is broad enough to allow power to mean domination, authority,
influence, and shared power or "power with." It is this definition of power, as a
process that occurs in relationships, that gives us the possibility of empowerment.

2.2 NGO
The term,‖ in government organization‖ or NGO, came into use in 1945 because of
the need for the UN to differentiate in its charter between participation rights
for intergovernmental specialized agencies and those for international private
organization. At the UN, virtually all types of private bodies can be recognized as
NGOs. They only have to be independent from government control, not seeking to
challenge governments either as a political party or by an arrow focus on human
rights, on profit-making and non criminal. In this document the term NGO is
primarily used for organizations other than charitable organizations. With the
improvement in communications, more locally-based group, referred to as grass-roots
organizations or community based organizations, have become active at the national
or even the global level. Increasingly these occurs through the formation of coalitions
with other NGOs for particular goals, such as was the case in the case of the bam
earthquake for example. A civil society is composed of three sectors;-government, the
private sector and civil society, excluding businesses .NGOs are components of social
movement within a civil society. NGOs can have an important role in strengthening
the foundations of an emergent civil society. The issue of independence is an
important one in the credibility of an NGO, it is hard for NGOs not to come under any
government influence
2.3 Related Studies, Documents, Activities of WVB and Other NGOs
Women in Bangladesh as yet are extremely disadvantaged, as indicated by the
country‘s rank of 68th 142 nations measured on the UNDP Gender Gap index (2014)
and 107th measured on Gender related Development index 2014. Gender disparity is
most evident in the country‘s poverty and income levels, especially among its poorest.
Women, when not prevented from work outside the home, receive unequal pay and
are more likely to engage in low-paying day labour, such as domestic work, earning
 13

less than half the annual income of men. Further, women often have little or no
control over their earned resources, which can be surrendered to male heads of
household, becoming inaccessible.

The lack of authority in the home extends beyond economics to an exclusion from
other aspects of the family decision making process, including control over household
resources, marriage, child bearing and education. While primary school enrolment
rates have achieved gender parity, 41 percent of girls drop out due to early marriage.
Poverty and income parts of Bangladesh, a mindset that girls; education is
unimportant, can also influence decisions to not educate or remove a girl from school
for her wife earning potential. Consequently, the adult female literacy rate (55.05%) is
lower than the male rate (62.46%) contributing to a cycle of low earning potential,
constrained opportunity, and poverty.

Perhaps even more damaging, the status of women in Bangladesh has extreme
consequences for health and personal safety. A female male gap persists in child
mortality rates and rates of acute and severe malnutrition, and the maternal mortality
rate in Bangladesh of 3.2 per 1000 live births is alarmingly high. Bangladesh ranks 4 th
highest in violence against women, with women and girls suffering multiple forms of
abuse, including rape, acid attacks, violence or death following dowry non-payment,
and sexual harassment. Forced marriage and motherhood are common, including
marriage as children. Seventy-five percent of women are married in their adolescene,
and 60 percent of girls become mothers by the age of nineteen. Within the home, it is
found that at least 50 percent of married women are victims of physical and mental
abuse. Removal from a violent domestic situation leads to shame, extreme poverty,
and homelessness, and can ultimately result in suicide. Aside from the dangers within
Bangladesh society, at least 20000 women have been forcibly removed as victims of
human trafficking.

In a cultural atmosphere of female subordination, many women and girls are unaware
of their own rights, as is the greater society. Although female participation in the
education system and workforce is slowly increasing and the Government of
Bangladesh has instituted a national policy for advancement, the diminished role of
women is still reflected in a lack of adequate representation.
 14

In order to lessen an unacceptable level of violence against women, to recognize their

vital role as home educators of future generations, and enable their survival and rise
from poverty, World Vision Bangladesh has identified a need to focus intervention on
women‘s empowerment against violence and discrimination, both as a target ministry
sector and as an integral part of all other sector interventions.

Objective is to reduce gender gaps and promote gender equality, enabling women to
experience their full range of rights and freedoms.

2.3.1 Intervention Strategies

Reduce discrimination and ensure equal access to services, through
 Engaging women in family –and community level economic activities
 Improving access to social services
 Partnerships with institutions of influence
 Reducing economic and cultural barriers to female education
 Building capacity and awareness to identity and address sources of injustice
 Indentifying and analyzing core problems and opportunities
 Support services to widows and women escaping violence
Foster equality in decision-making, through
 Advocating for a balanced male-female role in family and community
 Facilitating women‘s control over resources
 Awareness building on educational benefits and effects of early marriage
 Growing capacity of gender-focused community group

WVB provided fervent drive in all interventions for promoting Gender and
Development issues as a cross cutting subject for sustaining development initiatives.
The organization is working to bring changes in social perception on the role of men
and women and their involvement in different socio-economic and decision making
initiatives.
For promoting gender equality WVB is addressing three major areas:
Decreasing the level of violence against women and supporting its victims
Reducing discrimination and ensuring equal access to services
Fostering equality in decision making

WVB are diligent about ensuring girls and women‘s participation in the development
and leadership arena. With the objective to promote equality of girls, WVB‘s
 15

sponsorship program maintained girls and boys ratio of 55:45% within its total
registered children. Also, among the child forum members‘ girls and boys ratio is 57:
43 % while WVB facilitated CBOs have been maintaining 85:15% for female and
male members.
Zaman (1997) in his study shows the positive contribution of NGO program on
poverty reduction but the benefits were not found evenly among the different socio-
economic groups. Results appear to suggest that the poorest members did not benefit
much from NGO interventions.
Moniruzzaman (2011) articulates that NGOs in Bangladesh apply group approach
which has two aspects: first, internal organizational management of the group; and
second, credit management by the group. In other words, it is the organized group
activity that leads to empowerment. However, Moniruzzaman has found that group
approach alone does not necessarily result in expected empowerment outcomes.

Haider and Aktar, (1999) NGO interventions positively contribute to women

empowerment. NGOs central goal is empowering the powerless women folk or
helping them to bloom their hidden potentialities, that is power of thought, power of
word, and power of organization, with a view to helping them to participate in the
socio economic development for their emancipation from less human condition to
more human condition.

Mridula (1998) reported that women‘s education leads to reduction in family size,
greater attention by mothers towards health, education and character building of their
children, greater participation of women in labour market and greater per capita
income and better quality of human capital. An educated woman is more likely to
share in family decisions about how many children to have, how to bring them up and
how to care her own and her family health.

Though all these studies simply assessed the positive impact on poverty alleviation,
increase the income level but there is no specific studies found about women
empowerment through WVB program. Taking clues from this gap and realizing the
importance of the topic to the researcher, the present study was designed. This report
will help to guide the reader to have an understanding of various matters.
 16

CHAPTER-THREE

AN OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL
CONDITION OF WOMEN AND
WORLD VISION BANGLADESH
 17

AN OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL CONDITION OF WOMEN

AND
WORLD VISION BANGLADESH
3.1 The Women of Bangladesh and Their Social Life
Irrespective of national level of development, women are vulnerable to exploitation,
oppression and all other types of explicit violence from men in all the societies where
cultural norms, traditional and legal system, sanction women‘s subordination to men.
In Bangladesh in the system of patrilineal descent, patrilocal residence interacts to
isolate and subordinate women. Usually, women are socially and economically
dependent on mare person of the family. When a daughter grows up, she always safe-
guarded by father and he is considered her guardian while she is being married. After
marriage, her identity is her husband and any absence of her father or husband‘s; she
is looked after by her son, brother or other male persons or male relatives of the
family. The most senior male member of the family normally becomes the head of the
family. Hossain et al (1988) have found in a study that ―Even when male do not or
cannot perform the socially expected role of family bread winners, many families
keep intact the culturally accepted structure or ritual male leadership. That means the
male persons have been enjoying a lot of advantage and privileges in the social
respect of rural Bangladesh. Again, after marriage, the sooner she proved her capacity
of becoming mother by giving birth to a baby; the better is her consolidation in the
family. Because son preference dominates socio-cultural life in Bangladesh, a mother
can cement her position in the family by giving birth to a son.
Chen (1986) has quoted in his publications entitled ―Women in Transition in Rural
Bangladesh‖ that the patrilineal social system in Bangladesh prescribes that a newly
married woman generally need to consolidate her position in the new family through
giving girth to one or more male children. In our traditional society women are
ignored and considered as a burden to a family. In most of the cases, people don‘t
tend to welcome a girl in their family.
Women‘s movement from one place to another is sometimes restricted. The social
institution, known as ―Shomaj‖ control the people of that place in various ways.
Shomaj leaders don‘t allow her to move freely in the society. Mobility and visibility
of women are controlled by Shomaj in the prescribed direction. Hence, women‘s
ability to become independent, looking for jobs, outside her home, initiative to gather
knowledge about new ideas are very much controlled by her very limited scope of
mobility in the society.
 18

Most of the women in Bangladesh are illiterate. The illiteracy of women is much
more than that of men. Maximum women are landless. Generally, the land own by a
household is mainly owned by men and always women are deprived of their rights.
As land provides social status and political power as well as economic security,
women‘s landlessness reduces women‘s power in the household. Hence, illiteracy,
low life expectancy, low rate of labor force participation, no ownership of land, higher
rate of unemployment, high fertility, mortality and morbidity from a circle, adversely
affecting women in Bangladesh. So, in spite of her being pioneer in women‘s
emancipation and education, women in Bangladesh are politically exploited, socially
apprised, legally ignored and technologically deprived. In other words, women are
neglected in almost all the spheres of their life.

3.1.1 Current Poverty and Women in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is one of the poorest and most densely populated countries in the
developing world occupying 142th (among 187 countries) position in UNDP‘s Human
Development Index (UNDP, 2014). At least 38 million people live below the poverty
line among them 15.07 million are extreme poverty. Source (ministry of finance).
Most of the rural poor have no land. Especially the women and they rely heavily on
wage empowerment of their livelihood. Women need money not only to contribute to
family as a whole but also save for emergencies and for times when they and their
families are in distress. Thus, when a woman is urgently concerned with her family‘s
economic and social security, she may not be interested in acquiring modern
knowledge in nutrition of health practices. But once a certain amount of economic
security has been achieved, rural women will be interested on other social changes
desired for comprehensive development of the society. If the women have given
sufficient and appropriate training and then women can plan, implement and also
motor development program.
Hence, by taking proper and effective education (both formal and informal) and also
by proper training, rural women can take part in development activities and also gain
money and thus may empower themselves also.

3.1.2 Health Condition of Women and Their Health Awareness Knowledge

Bangladesh is a growing example of how development organizations can contribute
considerably and constructively to the growth of the country. But in Bangladesh
women have been held back by their low status in family and community. In
 19

patriarchal society such as that found in Bangladesh, women‘s health status is

compromised by their low socio-economic status. Poor women suffer from diseases
related to poverty and malnutrition (the men of the family feed first) and ignorance of
proper hygiene about use of water, latrine.
Their children are also suffering from diarrhea and many diseases due to lack of
knowledge about immunization. Women must work long and hard in conditions
which adversely affect their health (such as cooking in smoke filled rooms).The only
health needs of women which are recognized are those related to reproduction. They
sometimes get different health facilities during pregnancy. It will not be possible to
improve the health status of women until structural changes take place in societies and
discrimination is eliminated.

3.2 ABOUT WORLD VISION

World Vision is a Christian (humanitarian) organization, dedicated to the well-being
of children, especially the world‘s most vulnerable children, their families and
communities. We are committed to serve and partner with people in need regardless
of religion, ethnicity or gender. The organization was founded in 1950 by Dr. Bob
Pierce. Over the next several decades WV expanded work throughout Asia, Latin
America, Africa, the Middle East and Eastern Europe.
In the 1970s, WV embraced a broader community development model and established
an emergency relief division. WV also attempted to address the causes of poverty by
focusing on community needs such as water, sanitation, education, health, leadership
training and income generation. WV began the 21st century by strengthening our
advocacy efforts, particularly on issues related to child survival. It became more
active in working with governments, businesses and other organizations in addressing
issues such as child labour, children in armed conflict and the sexual exploitation of
women and children.
At present World Vision works in nearly 100 countries across six continents. The
organization focuses on response to humanitarian emergencies, programmers
promoting holistic and sustainable transformational development as well as changing
policies, systems and structures that hinder the development of children to their fullest
potential.

VISION OF THE ORGANIZATION: Our Vision for every child, life in all its
fullness; Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so.
 20

3.2.1 World Vision Approaches

WV use integrated, multi-sectoral approaches:
Development: Transforming Communities
Transformational development is the process through which children, families and
communities identify and overcome the obstacles that prevent them from living life in
all its fullness. World Vision partners with communities to improve lives. Through
these partnerships, communities access the knowledge and resources needed to
improve the well-being of children and overcome poverty. World Vision support a
range of interventions tailored to the context, including projects in education, health,
nutrition, child protection, economic development, microfinance, agriculture, and
water and sanitation. By helping community members help each other, World Vision
ensures that the process of positive change continues long after development staff has
left.

Relief: Responding to Disasters

World Vision sets aside a certain amount of money that can be made available very
quickly to launch urgent disaster responses. World Vision identify places at risk of
disaster, prepare resources and staff in high-risk zones, and build capacity and
resilience among communities to help them protect themselves before an emergency
and rebuild afterwards.

Advocacy: Seeking Global Change

Every day, all over the world, unjust and unfair policies, systems, practices and
attitudes force millions to live in poverty. Young girls are pulled from school and
forced into early marriages; children are forced to work in dangerous conditions;
unfair trade rules leave farmers unable to export their goods. World Vision works to
empower communities to know and to speak up for their rights at local, national and
international levels. In situations where such community-led advocacy is not possible,
World Vision takes the voices of those living in poverty to those decision-makers
with the power to change unjust policies and practices.

3.2.2 Child Well-being Aspirations and Outcomes

World Vision focuses on improving children‘s well-being through child-focused
transformational development, disaster management, and promotion of justice. The
Child Well-being Aspirations and Outcomes provide a practical definition of World
Vision understands of well-being for children.
 21

Our goal is “the sustained well-being of children within families and communities,
especially the most vulnerable.”
World Vision views the well-being of children in holistic terms: healthy individual
development (involving physical and mental health, social and spiritual dimensions),
positive relationships and a context that provides safety, social justice, and
participation in civil society. The Child Well-being Aspirations and Outcomes are
intended as a catalyst for dialogue, discussion and visioning as World Vision partners
with children, parents, community partners, churches, governments and other
organizations. These aspirations and outcomes reinforce each other and enable an
integrated, holistic approach to ministry.
Table 3.1:- Child Well Being Outcomes
Sustained well-being of children within families and communities, especially
Goal
the most vulnerable especially the most vulnerable
Girls & Boys:
Aspiration Enjoy good Are educated for Experience love of Are cared for,
health life God and their protected and
neighbors participating
Children are Children read, write, Children grow in Children cared for
well nourished and use numeracy their awareness and in a loving, safe,
skills experience of God‘s family and
love in an community
environment that environment with
recognises their safe places to play
freedom
Children Children make good Children enjoy Parents or
protected from judgments, can positive caregivers
infection, protect themselves, relationships with provide well for
disease, and manage emotions, peers, family, and their children
Outcomes injury and communicate community
ideas members
Children and Adolescents ready Children value and Children
their caregivers for economic care for others and celebrated and
access essential opportunity their environment registered at birth
health services
Children access and Children have hope Children are
complete basic and vision for the respected
education future participants in
decisions that
affect their lives
Foundation Children are citizens and their rights and dignity are upheld (including girls and
al Principles boys of all religions and ethnicities, any HIV status, and those with disabilities)

Source: World Vision

Everything World Vision do has just one goal: the sustained well-being of children,
especially the most vulnerable.
 22

3.3 World Vision Bangladesh

World Vision first stepped in Bangladesh in 1970 in response to a devastating cyclone
in the coastal belt. During the liberation war it provided relief to the refugees staying
in Indian camps and later, assisted the Government of Bangladesh in rebuilding the
northern part of the country. The organization started its operation in 1972 as World
Vision Bangladesh. Currently the organization works in 84 program locations and
impacting the lives of around 5 million people (by service) of 35 districts

3.3.1. Improve Health Status of Mothers and Children

World Vision Bangladesh is working towards reducing maternal and child mortality
by improving the health and nutritional status of children under five years, pregnant
and lactating mothers along with adolescent girls. For better contribution towards
Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5, WVB identified three strategic objectives
that will be achieved through its programmatic interventions:
1. Improved health and nutritional status of pregnant and lactating mothers, and
children under five
2. Increased access to safe, potable water, and practiced proper hygiene and
sanitation, and
3. Improved proper community health-related practices, with emphasis on
behavior change.
To achieve these objectives, WVB implementing numerous interventions such as
Positive Deviance Hearth (PD/Hearth), Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF),
Community-Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (C-IMCI), Safe
Motherhood, and Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS). These programs are
focusing on primary health, nutrition education, and behavior change at the household
level to empower caregivers and children in keeping themselves healthy. The
organization is also emphasizing building the capacity of community groups in
addressing and monitoring local causes of illness, death, and malnutrition; advocating
for quality health service delivery; and monitoring home-based care services.

3.3.2. Improve Access and Quality to Education

WVB is focusing on initiatives for improving educational quality and learning

environments where children enjoy their rights and grow to their fullest potentials.
 23

For maximizing the impact and transformational development in this sector, WVB is
working mainly on four areas:
i) Enhance educational quality and delivery through advocacy for improved
teaching methods and community mobilization for involvement. support for
pre-schools, creating a child friendly environment and assuring access to
teaching and learning aids
ii) Develop community capacity to initiate and manage educational interventions
through encouraging parents to participate in academic activities. Quality
improvement and property maintenance, and strengthening capacity of the
School Management Committees (SMC)
iii) Ensure school access for all children by providing educational fees for
attaining non-government schooling facilities, logistic support and livelihood
support for the ultra poor families. and non- formal basic education delivery to
access challenged children
iv) Build opportunity for under educated adults by providing support for
education and vocational training

3.3.3. Ensure Children are Protected and Cared for

Being a child-focused organization, WVB works extensively in ensuring that

‗children are protected and cared for,‘ following three strategic objectives:
1. Uphold the rights of children to be protected from physical and emotional
harm
2. Ensure a child‘s right to participate in decision making and provisions
guaranteed by the state, and
3. Improve living conditions and access to basic services for street children and
other children in difficult circumstances.

WVB has rendered its utmost integrated development services to bring fullness of life
to all children, their families and communities. Currently WVB is serving children in
the area of child protection, participation and growth. While working closely with
children. WVB facilitates an enabling environment for upholding child rights and
their empowerment as social agents of change. The child forums create a common
ground for children where they can learn and reflect together about their rights, self-
 24

progress of studies and develop future aspirations for democratic leadership from
childhood. They also act as champions for raising awareness on various social issues.

Child forums are supporting children to raise voices for their protection and well-
being along with nurturing their potentials as future leaders. Active participation in
different programs including planning and implementation enhance their leadership
skills. Apart from encouraging children to attend schools regularly, child forum
leaders raise awareness in the community on child rights, early marriage, trafficking
and child labor. In some areas they jointly work with WVB and CBOs for stopping
early marriage and child labor amongst other rights based issues.

GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT

WVB recognizes the importance of gender equality as essential to poverty reduction,

improved living standards and sustainable economic growth. Considering it as a cross
cutting issue, WVB is continuing to promote and support gender equality by
designing gender Inclusive projects and paying careful attention to gender issues
across the full range of its operations. With the goal of reducing gender gaps and
promoting gender equality for enabling women to experience their full range of rights
and freedoms WVB is addressing three major areas:

 Decreasing the level of violence against women and supporting its victims
 Reducing discrimination and ensuring equal access to services
 Fostering equality in decision-making

Gender and development interventions of WVB includes activities related to

awareness building on rights of women and child, human rights and empowerment,
protection of children, advocacy on legal rights and family rights issues.
WVB is yearning to improve awareness on women and children rights and legal
issues including participation of underprivileged women and children for upholding
their equality. Child forums are also empowering boys and girls to attain equal
treatment and protection in their own families and communities. Drives for increasing
male involvement in gender related issues, observation of different days, coordination
with government, NGOs, civil societies as well as community are also assisting WVB
in promoting gender parity.
 25

As a special initiative WVB is implementing one Gender and Development project

considering its socio-economic context including trafficking issues. The project is
contributing impressively in creating a very cohesive environment in the community
for reducing early marriage, domestic violence as well as child and women
trafficking. These initiatives are being implementing in very cooperative way with the
other like minded organization and contributing to reduce violence against women
and child.

3.3.4 Create Economic Opportunities for the Poor

WVB operates Economic and Agriculture Development (EAD) program to ‗create

economic opportunities and increase productive assets for the poor,‘ which is
complementing the Bangladesh government‘s efforts to reduce poverty. With the
view of bringing greater impact in this area, the organization has formulated three
strategic objectives:

1. Increased income, productivity and economic resilience for poor households

2. Value of economic assets of the community increased, and
3. Women empowered to access markets, opportunities for employment and
equal wage.
To achieve the above mentioned objectives, WVB is giving concentration its efforts
on agriculture and non-farming households living below the poverty line. The
organization has been working persistently to empower them in increasing their
production, income, assets and access to food. These programs are supporting them in
ensuring the availability of food (nutrition) for their children and other household
members, as well as payment for their children‘s medical and schooling expenses;
thereby, contributing to the child‘s wellbeing.
The EAD program is comprised of agriculture and non-farm interventions including
intensification of crop production, expansion of non-crop agriculture, diversification
of income sources, and improving access to market. To be market driven, WVB is
focusing its resources to raising crop yields, increasing livestock and fish production,
and promoting agro-forestry through market assessments. The EAD program is
promoting new technology and practices that are resilient to climate change such as
adaptation of drought and salinity tolerant crops, organic gardening, and integrated
crop management.
 26

WVB created business development opportunities, for women in particular, and

provided necessary support for non-farm micro-enterprises including household-based
production of handicrafts and bamboo products, embroidery, block boutique, tailoring
and readymade garments, food processing and carpentry.
WVB are focusing on the theme ―Partnership, Creativity and Good Governance for
CBOs Sustainability‖ WVB facilitated a number of learning events and leadership
conferences at the divisional level. These events provided scope to CBO members for
exchanging experiences and learning on leadership development, improved service
delivery standards, value chain process and networking etc. These CBOs took an
active role in upholding women‘s and children‘s rights, health and education at the
community level. In addition, most of the CBOs are operated by community women
and this has created opportunities for strengthening women‘s leadership as well as
reinforcing women‘s rights.
 27

CHAPTER-FOUR

METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

 28

METHODOLOGY OF THE STUDY

4.1 Methodology
This study regards the feminist empowerment approach, this being a model in which
empowerment is seen as the transformation of gender and class relations (Mayoux
1998b:236), as being relevant for the methodology and analysis of the ways in which
women have had to negotiate between profitability and patriarchy, and what role
microfinance services have had in that. This approach will be elaborated upon in more
detail in the conceptual framework of this study.
The project was developed using the conceptual framework of Linda Mayoux. The
rationale for using that framework was that it links Microfinance and Women‘s
Empowerment, as well as providing relevant insight into various indicators of
empowerment or disempowerment of women through Microfinance from a gender
perspective. In relation to the research objective and questions, the following
indicators in table 3.1 have been utilized in this project research.

Table 4.1: Research Indicators of Women’s Empowerment

Women’s Empowerment Women’s Disempowerment
Increased income Lack of or Decreased income
Decision making and bargaining Lack of decision making and bargaining
power within the household power within the household/denying choice
Challenge and Change of the existing Reinforcement of the existing gender roles
gender roles
Access of resource and control over Lack/limited of access of resource and
on it no/limited control

Source: Formulated by researcher

The research is mainly a quantitative and qualitative analysis as it is difficult to

capture the nature of gender relations within the household using simple indicators.
The emphasis was thus placed on in-depth interviews with relevant persons in order to
highlight the nuances involved in understanding the different processes inherent in
undertaking various program relating to women‘s empowerment
 29

4.2 Sample Population and Choice of Respondents

The study employed random sampling and selected 50 respondents from the selected
four study village and 5 office personnel of Muktagacha ADP, WVB. In total the
sample of this study constituted 55 people
Table 4.2: Sampling Distribution across Villages

SL. No. Village Name Frequency Percent

01 Simla 18 32.73%
02 JuthkrisnhaCharanbari 14 25.45%
03 Rudrapur 12 21.82%
04 Bisnapur 06 10.91%
05 Office staff 05 9.09%
Total 55 100%

The Officials of Muktagacha ADP, WVB consisted of one Manager and four program
staff, therefore totaling 5 persons. They were selected and deliberately interviewed for
the purpose of obtaining information related to the institution and the way in which
they work with women with the aim of empowering them.

Concerning the women who are beneficiaries of Muktagacha ADP, WVB, 50 women
were interviewed in total. The quantitative and qualitative nature of the research
influenced the choice of sample size in terms of the respondents, based on the
population profile rather than the number of people. However, the researcher selected
women as informants who matched the criteria of being a married woman with a
family who has benefited in terms of income through participating in different
intervention of Muktagacha ADP‘s program. This was because this research intended
to explore whether an increase in income to women can be translated into equitable
gender relations within the household. Another criteria was membership of the
Muktagacha ADP, WVB between 2007 and 2015 (8 years working with Muktagacha
ADP, WVB) in order to enable the researcher to measure change over that period of
time.

4.3 The Source of Data and Data Collection Technique

This study employed both primary and secondary data. In terms of primary data,
Semi-Structured interviews were used, as well as informal and unstructured
interviews. The Interview guide of questions asked is to be found in the appendix of
this research.
 30

As mentioned above, the Semi-Structured interviews have been conducted to both the
Officials of Muktagacha ADP, WVB (Manager and program staff), and women who
are beneficiaries of their services. The data obtained have enabled knowledge as to the
ways in which women have had to negotiate between profitability and patriarchy and
what the role of WVB intervention has been in that. To this end, women were asked
questions related to their involvement with the program, opportunity of income
generation from it, leadership skill; decision making power within the household; and
change in household relations in terms of the division of labour. The unstructured
interview was used as the basis for conversation during which women shared their
stories with the researcher, sharing information about how they manage both market
and domestic work and the problems they face.

As well as this primary data, the study also made use of secondary data which was
collected by reviewing literature about NGO intervention towards women‘s
empowerment, primarily from books, journal articles, respective institutions annual
report, base line, midterm evaluation, phase evaluation, monitoring report etc and
other relevant documents such as reports from the public library or other libraries,
from the internet, or from various other institutions including those of the Republic of
Bangladesh related to this topic.

4.3.1 Development of Primary Data Collection

With a view to collecting primary data from the sample beneficiaries and officers of
WVB, an interview schedule and a questionnaire were prepared respectively. The
interview schedule deals with background information about respondents (woman)
such as their age, educational level, marital status, previous business experience etc.
The interview schedule consists of dichotomous (yes or no answers), multiple choice
and open-ended questions. Questionnaire, on the other hand, contained respondents
background information, response mark (multiple response) and open-ended
questions. Both the interview schedule and questionnaire were given final shape by
reviewing related literature extensively and taking views of respondents to the extent
possible.

4.3.2 Primary Data Collection Procedures

The existing literature on primary data collection provides a number of data collection
methods such as observations, postal survey, telephone survey, computer control
 31

telephone interview, face-to-face interview, and group participating research, etc. In

the study, based on the research objectives and some practical issues such as less
education and non-cooperative attitude of the prospective respondents, and other
resource constraints, the most effective face-to-face interview methods were used.
With the help of interview schedule consisting of several types of question, the
researcher himself conducted face to face interview with the selected woman
beneficiaries. Most of the questions of the schedule were memorized earlier so that
each interview could be done promptly without hampering the normal business
operations of the respondents. Prior to final collection of data, the potential
respondents were contacted or informed through the concerned officers of the
respective supporting institutions to determine their willingness to participate in the
study. During this pre-interview or initial contact, the researcher introducing him
explained the purpose, format and required time of interview and gave the pledge of
confidentiality in the reporting of interview data. Almost all of the women contacted
for interview agreed to be interviewed at a mutually agreed time and place. There
were some respondents who did not want to disclose their socio-economic condition.
So, at first, a friendly environment was tried created by ensuring them that there
would be no problem in providing the information. The researcher himself went to the
women‘s house and asked the respondents the questions in Bengali, the native
language and filled in the questionnaire of the schedule. The questionnaire was also
administered to the officers WVB they themselves filled-up it and returned the same
back to the researcher.

4.3.3 Pilot Survey

Before the final data collection stage was started, the interview schedule and the
questionnaire were carefully studied and moderated. To increase validity and
reliability, a pilot survey was also conducted to pre-test the questionnaire. As
mentioned above, before finalization of the interview schedule and questionnaire, in
the study, a pilot survey was conducted with the objective of ascertaining the
workability and face validity of the questions. In view of these objectives, a total of
10 respondents were purposively selected for the pilot survey. Some questions
particularly multiple choice questions were amended by adding or discarding. The
questions not so relevant for achieving objectives of the study were also excluded
from the list of questions. Based on the experience of the pilot survey, the approach of
 32

asking question, contact time, the recording, processing and reporting of data were
finalized with amendment. The respondents selected for the pilot survey, however,
were not finally included in the sample of woman respondents and staff of WVB.

4.4 Data Processing and Analysis

The collected data from the area of study have been processed and analyzed carefully
to present. The data, after collecting from the selected respondents through interview
schedule and questionnaire, were processed. The task of processing consisted of
editing, coding, classification, and tabulation of collected data so that they were
amenable to analysis. At the end of each day of data collection, the collected raw data
were verified to ensure that the respondents answered all relevant questions and that
no answers were missing. The completed interview schedule was carefully scrutinized
to assume that the data were accurate, consistent with other facts gathered uniformly
entered, as complete as possible and had been well arranged to facilitate coding and
tabulation. The values of the variables were coded by numerical figures and the numerical
coded numbers were given input for analysis of the data. Then the data were tabulated
and analyzed with the help of computer. After completion of field study, data were
inserted in computer based worksheets, and MS Word.

4.5 Reliability and Validity

Women have given their information spontaneously

4.6 Duration of the Field Study

The field investigation was carried out during the period from 1st July 2016 to 10th
August 2016. The interview session was all daylong whenever the researcher gave
appointment for interview. Each of the sample respondents was asked separately and
on an average a period of 30 minutes was required for recording the replies in the
space meant for the same in the schedule.

4.7 Descriptive Statistics

In this study researcher has used descriptive statistics to present quantitative
descriptions in a manageable form. Simple percentages were calculated to show the
frequency distribution at different categories of variables
 33

4.8 Limitation of the Study

No work is free from any limitation for preparing the report the researcher suffers a
lot of problems. Some of these problems are given below:

The main limitation of the study is that it has only covered a limited area.
The field works was limited to only area of Simla, Juthkrishancharanbari, biswnapur
& Rudrapur under Mymensingh district. The study could not cover the other area due
to lack of time and resources constraint.

Besides, the sample size is very poor which does not represent the actual population.
The sampled respondents were not well educated and for that reason answer did not
come out against the questionnaire.

Moreover the researcher had to face some difficulties in collecting data. Since the
respondents had no idea about such study, they were highly apprehensive about the
purpose of the study. At the beginning they initially hesitated to answer questions and
showed conservative attitudes also a drawback to the study. Due to limited time, it is
not possible to prepare the report properly.
 34

CHAPTER-FIVE

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS

OF THE DATA
 35

ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATIONS OF THE DATA

5.1 Introduction
This chapter intended to explore the World Vision intervention how impacted on the
life of poor women and contributed to empower them. In Bangladesh like many other
developing countries women‘s access to positions of influence and power is limited:
their occupational choices are narrower, and their earnings lower than those of men;
and they must struggle to reconcile activities outside the home with their traditional
roles. While many men, particularly among the poor, also find themselves
disenfranchised, it is a far more common experience among women. This experience
is rooted in the failure to value women for anything but their reproductive role.
The need for empowerment of women in Bangladesh arises from this harsh social
scenario. NGOs central goal is empowering the powerless women folk or helping
them to bloom their hidden potentialities that is power of thought, power of word, and
power of organization, with a view to helping them to participate in the socio
economic development for their emancipation from less human condition to more
human. In the crowd of voluntary organizations of Bangladesh, World Vision
Bangladesh is distinct with its own approach and priorities. WVB tries to integrate the
down trodden population lying below the poverty into the prospective mainstream of
sustainable development Gender sensitivity is considered as the strategy and
underlying philosophy behind development and implementation of the project
activities of WVB.

5.2 Personal, Demographic and Family Related, Information of the

Respondents
Information related to age, marital status, educational status, family type, total family
member, head of the family, and total monthly income of the respondents are
analyzed and presented in this section.
Table-5.1 Distribution of the Respondents According to Age Group
Age (years) Frequency Percentage
16-20 2 4%
21-25 7 14%
26-30 11 22%
31-35 17 34%
36-40 6 12%
41-45 4 8%
46-50 2 4%
51 and more 1 2%
Total 50 100%

Source: Field Survey

 36

The maximum numbers of respondents 34 percent of this study were in the age range
between 31-35 years, while minimum numbers of respondents 2 percent were found
in the age range between 51-more years. The age of 4, 14, 22 & 12 percent
respondents ranged between 16-20, 21-25, 26-30 and 35-40 years respectively.

Most of them 94 percent were married. Among all the respondents the proportions
unmarried and widow were 2 & 4 percent respectively. Besides, 4 percent respondents
were separated/ divorced.

Maritsal Status of the respondents

4%4%
2%
Married

Unmarried

Widow

90% Divorcse/Separated

Source: Field Survey Figure 5.1

Among all the respondents 64 percent were illiterate (who couldn‘t read or write) and
rests of them were literate. Among them, 22 percent respondents could only read and
write, 10 percent respondents had primary level (class 1-V) and 4 percent respondents
had some experience of secondary level (class VI-X) education (Table 2)
Table 5.2: Distribution of respondents according to the education level
Education level Frequency Percentage
Illiterate (can not read or write 29 58%
Literate (can read & write) 10 20%
Class 1-V 6 12%
Class VI-X 4 8%
X-up 1 2%
Total 50 100%

Source: Field survey

Maximum respondents 36 percent had three children followed by 28 percent
respondents having one child only 22 percent respondents having two children. on the
other hand 12 percent were recorded having no children and only 2 percent belonged
to singly family.
 37

Bangladesh is predominantly a patriarchal society and the study village is also not an
exception. Almost all the heads of the families of the respondents were males. 76, 8 &
10 percent respondents families were headed by their husbands, father-in-laws and
male children respectively. Only 6 percent respondents were found as heads of their
own families.

5.3 Increased Income and it Impact on the Life of Women

Income can be measured quantitatively by counting the amount of savings the women
make and the amount of money the women spend for personal expenses. This
measurement is related to her decision-making capacity. When the women do not
have income they have to ask and consult the family heads regarding what they want
to buy and why they need money.

On the other hand, income earning opportunities give women certain level of freedom
of choices like visiting places, visiting organizations or institutions, meeting with
people connected with their work or business, and buy some recreational facilities on
their own.

The study reveals a mixed and some interesting findings regarding different areas of
women development. According to the study findings, Health, education and
economic development, rights & protection issue and credit is support service
provided by NGOs.

Comparism income status of respondents between

30%
before inclusion in WVB & during study
28% Before
25% 26% inclusion
in WVB
20% 20% 20%

15% 16%
14%
12% 12% During
10%
8% 8% 8% study
5% 6%
4% 4% 4% 4%
2% 2% 2%
0% 0% 0% 0%

Source: Field Survey Figure 5.2

 38

With regard to personal monthly income, it was observed during the study that the
income of maximum number of respondents ranged between Tk.5001-6000 (26
percent) where the maximum income range was Tk.2001-3000 (28 percent). That
indicates that income range of the respondent has increased. The study finding
showed that the three lowest income range (0-1000), (1001-2000) and 2001-3000) has
significantly positively changed. In the lowest income range none of the respondents
was found during the study and the second and third lowest income range has
decreased 20 to 4 percent and 28 to 8 percent respectively. On the other hand the
study data showed that higher income ranges has increased significantly. In the
income rages 6001-7000, 7001-8000, 8001-9000, 9001-10000 and 10001- up are
found during the study 12, 6, 4, 4, and 2 percent where it was 4, 2, 2, 0 and 0 percent
respectively before inclusion in World Vision Bangladesh program.
The study found that mobilization and motivation program on saving and it utilization
was very effective. The women learnt from the Programme that they need to save
money to start their business, and even to continue savings to sustain their business.
So, right after their training, most of them engaged in some women groups and
cooperatives for savings and loan support. Through these savings and cooperative
groups, the women exchange among themselves on personal, family and social
matters. There is obviously a trend at CBO that the women are coming up with their
own ideas of enterprise development and income earning sometimes with family
support and sometimes with support from NGOs.

Savings mentality of the respondents

50
Numbers of respondents

40
30
20
10
0
Before inclusion WVB During study
Series1 5 50

Source: Field Survey Figure 5.3

 39

Therefore savings mentality has developed among the group members and all
members now Government registered CBO members and saving money into their
CBO. The study found that 100 percent respondents are saving their money into the
CBO while were only 10 percent before inclusion WVB. Group members are now
register birth with Union Parishad regularly and cooperate neighbors to do so. Group
members themselves participate in economically productive activities to save more
and to be self- reliant.

5.4 Decision Making and Bargaining Power within the Household

The positive impact has been evident regarding participation of rural women in
decision making affaires. This study revealed that 40 percent villages‘ women had
access to participation in buying/selling family assets for all the times and 46 percent
for sometimes. In the case of daily household expenditure, 46 percent and 44 percent
village women participate for all the times and sometimes respectively.

Table 5.3: Respondents having school going children

Having children Frequency Percentage

Yes 22 44%

No 28 56%

Total 50 100%

Source: Field Survey.

Decisions regarding treatment, during illness, are usually taken by husband and wife
jointly (in 40 percent cases) It is worth mentioning that in most cases (43.24
percent)family planning decision are also taken jointly. Besides, decisions regarding
schooling and education of the children also depend on both husband and wife (63.64
percent)
 40

Decision Maker Regarding Schooling of children

4.55%
Respondents herslf

13.64% Husband

Both of them
18.18%
All family members
63.64%

Source: Field Survey Figure 5.4

Women‘s role and participation increased in family decision making and social
activities. Women voters freely cast their vote in election. Women discuss with the
local women informal group and manage to allocate space for petty female vendors.
Family-based barrier to women‘s voting right was eliminated, Women now feel
encouraged to participate in UP elections. Participation of women in rally, meeting,
and discussion has increased.

Though village women rceive credit/loan from their membershsip CBO, decision
regarding utliation of the laon are usually taken by their husban. In the study village
it was observed that in nost cases (67 percent) rspondents husbands took the decision
of the utilszation of the loan. Decsion was taken by the respondents all family
members children and husband and children jointly in 10 percent respectively Only 4
percent respondents informed that they alone had taken the decision for utiliztion their
received loan.

Table 5.4: Positive Change in Several Sectors of the Respondents

Before WVB Growth in
Measuring indicator During study
inclusion percentage

Casting vote by own 14 out 47 41 out of 50 52.21

initiative 29.79% 82%
Involvement in Bank
transaction
3 out of 50 43 out of 50 80
6% 86%
 41

Victims legal action taken

7 out of 12 (last 5 out of 7(Last one 13.1
one year before year to during
WVB inclusion) study)
58.33% 71.43%
Involved in income generating
activities (employment)
5 (10% 31 (62%) 52

Leadership role
0% 6% 06
Service holders
2% 10% 08
Source: Field Survey.

The above table shows the condition of four indicators of empowerment. It is found
that before involving with World Vision Bangladesh majority of people were
influenced by others in the time of casting vote. 82 percent woman cast vote from
their own initiative which is 52.21 percent more than it was before. Regarding the in
Bank transaction very few (6 percent) respondents informed that they had bank account
before inclusion in World Vision Bangladesh. After joining WVB 80 percent woman
enjoy bank transaction. In the legal issues a big portion of the victims did not take
any legal action previously but the during study period 71.34 percent respondents
found they take the legal action. In the social issue and leadership issues it found that
6 percent women come to the leadership position where it was zero before.
The investigated issues show that after joining World Vision Bangladesh the
percentage of every empowerment indicator has increased. The main reason of the
improvement of such women empowerment is the result of the motivational training
of World Vision Bangladesh.

5.5 Challenge and Change of the Existing Gender Role

The study revealed that the vulnerable section now can understand the value of human
rights that can be achieved through literacy, mobilization, schooling, marriage and
birth registration, etc. The women and adolescents receive orientation on CRC, gender
perspective, human rights and women‘ s rights in literacy centers. It carries special
weight in context of their position without effective power and property.
The respondents are becoming aware of the reasons behind their present conditions.
The non-formal education, legal support, and knowledge regarding existing legal
 42

rights and responsibility and reproductive right found to be good package of

empowering women apart from employment and credit programme.
Comparism of occupational status
56%
0.6 Before inclusion
with WVB
38%
0.4 34% program
18% 18%
0.2 8% 10%
4% 6%
0 2% 2% 2% 2% After inclusion
0 with WVB
program

Source: Field Survey Figure 5.5

The study revealed that after inclusion with World Vision Bangladesh most of the
case positive changes has been found regarding the employment respondents. Before
inclusion in the program of World Vision Bangladesh the majority portion were not
involved in income generating activities. 56 percent respondents were housewife. But
the situation has been changed after inclusion in WVB program. 62 percent
respondents are involved various jobs. The study found that more 14 percent
respondents has involved in productive sector and upgraded their positions.
The cultural motivational component has proved its potential. Women are now more
participative in election, both as voter and candidate, and development activities. Now
powerful support groups against gender violence have developed from religious and

Members of the groups now gain ability to initiate social movement against
trafficking of women and children. People in general are more aware of trafficking
issue in the working area of WVB.

Impact of various programs can be highlighted as Capacity Building i.e. Development

group has now formed a greater forum namely CBO. CBO members are conducting
their meetings and developing their work plan; community people are identifying
their problems and assessing their needs; CBO leaders are maintaining linkages with
different service providers (GO & NGOs) to receive training supports like poultry
 43

rearing, goat rearing, fish cultivation, vegetable gardening, tree plantation, care and
management etc.

Building awareness include raising individual and collective consciousness about

women‘s condition in family and community through mobilization of policatical and
legal action. Building capacity on the other hand refers to the abilities in undertaking
economic socio-cultural and political activities and enhancing self respect. Capacity
to undertake economic activities will include ownership and control of productive
resources and creation of alternative employment at local levels. Capacity to
undertake socio-cultural activities will encompass abilities to partipate in nono family
group meetings, to interact effectively in public sphere, to ensure mobility and
visibility to decolnise gender relations and to create natural dependence. Capacity to
undertake political activity will include ability to transform institutions (family,
education, religion) to transform structures (legal, political economic and social), to
fight injustice, to organise struggle and to create alternate power structure at local
level. Capacity to enhnce self-respect will include ability to assert independetn righs
to make choice, to challenge and eliminate subordination to develop self confidence
and assertivesness in attaining the status of decision-making power in household.

Awareness on health hygiene among the respondents has increased. They now cover
their foods. They are now habituated to use their latrine. It is found that the numbers
of latrine has increased among the respondents household and the attack of diarrhea is
reducing day by day. The roads are now neat and clean compared to the previous
situation.

Gender sensitivity develops among the DG and CBO members. The respondents
informed that male and female CBO members are sitting together and preparing their
development plan and group initiation. Moreover among the respondents 6% trained
CBO members are creating awareness of gender sensitivity among the community
people.
 44

Comparism of Awareness level of respondents

35
29 Relationship
30 with other
23 member
25 22
Educational
20 awareness
13
15 Health
8 consciousness
10
5
5 Nutrition
0 consciousness
Before After Before After Before After
WVB WVB WVB WVB WVB WVB
Poor Moderate Good

Source: Field Survey Figure 5.1

Women are found well informed and vigilant with respect to social problems. Women
get the message of child rights, women‘s rights, human rights, violence against
women and children, etc. Concerted efforts toward awareness raising in close
cooperation of local elite, and community people have given more acceptability of the
issue to the vulnerable families. Regular meetings, workshops and consultation and
visits make targeted women aware of the causes, mechanism, and consequences of
various issues. They are now more prepared to face the traffickers and perpetrators
both socially and psychologically.
They can now identify the areas of deprivation and exploitation in terms of the
universal rights learned from training. They fell the need for a shelter home, day-night
childcare centre, training centre, and savings for alternative income.

5.6 Access of Resource and Control over on It

Empowerment is the process of challenging existing power relation and gaining
greater control, over the source of power. Enabling women‘s to gain access to and
control over resource ( materials, human and intellectual; and c) transforming the
institution ( family, education, religion, media so on) and structure (legal, political,
economic and social) through which the ideology and practice of subordination is
reinforced and reproduced. The table shows us that only 4 percent household had their
livestock assets before involvement in World Vision Bangladesh program and had
their little control over it but after inclusion in World Vision Bangladesh program it is
found that 84 percent women now have their livestock asset. 71 percent respondents
 45

informed that they were included in World Vision Bangladesh social safety net
program where they got the opportunity to cash for work in lean period. From that
program they all saved money then with guidance of WVB 99 percent of them
purchased livestock (milky cow, calf and goat and them involved themselves as
income generator for the family. A good noticeable improvement is found in home
decors furniture. Before inclusion of WVB program none of the respondents were
found furniture, but during the study period 32 percent respondents informed they
have the furniture in their household. Its indicate that their economic and
improvement and their aspiration of better life leading.

Table: 5.5: Distribution of the Respondents According to Having their Asset

Before inclusion in WVB
Asset During study
program

Livestock (Cow & Goat) 04% 84%

Home furniture 00% 32%

Poultry 44% 84%

Lands 40% 94%

Source: Field Survey

In the field of poultry the data showed that previously 44 percent household rear the
poultry in their household but they had to face very difficulties due to frequent
outbreak of poultry diseases. After membership of World Vision Bangladesh they got
training on poultry and livestock got support for homestead poultry rearing. World
Vision motivated them to rear the poultry in their homestead as a source of protein as
well as income generating activities. Thus the women vastly involved in poultry
rearing and during the study period 84 percent household

Regarding the ownership on land a significant improvement are found in this study.
Through most of the respondents were found having no land by their own names, a
little change was evident in land ownership during the study. The below data table
showed that the land owner of respondents has increased from 40 to 94 percent.
Though the maximum number of the land owner are only the homestead.
 46

Table: 5.6: Distribution of the Respondents According to Having Land by

their Own Name
before inclusion WVB
Land amount During study
program
( in Decimal)
Frequency Percentages Frequency Percentages

no land 20 40% 03 06%

00-20 18 36% 28 56%

21-40 08 16% 09 18%

41-60 03 06% 05 10%

61-80 01 02% 03 06%

81-up 00 00% 02 04%

Total 50 100% 50 100%

Source: Field Survey.

Before WVB program involvement the proportion of the village women having no
land was 40 percent, which has been reduced to 06 percent during the study period.
The study found that 4 percent of respondents have their 80-up decimal land while it
was the 0 percent before inclusion in the WVB program. The majority of them (56
percent) now have their own land and it is indication of their improvement.
An important and interesting finding of this study is that maximum village women do
not face any obstacle to participate in NGO program. But regarding perception about
changing status in family, among relatives and in society, maximum village women
think that their status has been significant changed after involvement with NGOs
 47

CHAPTER-SIX

CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATION
 48

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

6.1 Conclusion:
The study has illustrated how rural poor women of Bangladesh faced with acute
poverty situation, abandoned some of the social norms often against sever opposition
from the village elite and participated in various income generating activities to come
out the vicious circle of poverty. Especially here, it is exposed the impact of World
Vision Bangladesh intervention for development and empowerment in Rural Women.

In rural Bangladesh the traditional role of women is to stay at home and look after
children and house work according to their social standing and financial ability. But
when misfortune strikes, they become utterly helpless, especially when they have no
rich relatives to look for help. They have to do all kinds of odd jobs just to keep alive,
the children become undernourished and they are put to work at an early age to
augment their major income. In other words, they lead a hand- to mouth life, just short
of begging.

WVB has had more than 44 years of experience in running rural development
programs in Bangladesh. It has had some notable achievements particularly in Health,
Education, Economic Development, income and employment generation and group
saving credit assistance to the rural women. WVB activities have shown to yield
positive impact for the beneficiaries. This positive impact has been for both incomes
had non-income indicators of household welfare. WVB activities help the rural poor
women in changing their previous traditional life style. Now the CBO members earn
more money for their families and income capacity make a dramatic change in their
life style. Credit facilities from CBO provides group members with loan. They
established many income generating projects. Their living standard is increasing day-
by-day.

Although one of the stated objectives of the government is rural development in the
country, its effort is limited because of resources constraints. Under these
circumstances, several non-governmental organizations (NGOs), of which WVB is
one, have come forward to complement government‘s endeavor in assisting especially
the women who are the most disadvantaged segment of the rural society. WVB‘s
philosophy is based on the conviction that women themselves, if provided with
appropriate tool, can bring about changes towards their empowerment on this
 49

premise, WVB provides training to female in rural oriented income generating

activities and more importantly, it also grants non-collateral credit to the women who
have no access to formal credit due to their vulnerability. It is evidenced from the
study that one source of income alone is not often sufficient to sustain the family and,
therefore, the women have to be engaged in more than income generating activities.

The study adequately reveals that the intervention of health, education, economic
development and child and human righs training and capacity building initiative that
are provided by WVB do have significant impact on the disadvantaged Women in the
rural areas, but up to a point. After analyzing the impact of WVB intervention on
women credit created by WVB it can obviously say that: From the above research it is
clear that the women who involved themselves in WVB for a long time are much
more advanced in empowerment process than those who did not take support from
WVB. The women, who were more educated, have got better success in
empowerment. It is clear from the research that WVB has got a significant success in
involving women in development activities who had no bank account before getting
involved in WVB.
From primary and secondary data it is clear that in every respect women
empowerment has increased.

It can be easily observed that empowerment (especially in economic side) of women

has occurred but it is very difficult to measure exactly how much empowerment has
occurred. Apart from WVB there are many socio-economic factors that contribute to
the empowerment process of women. As a result it is very difficult to evaluate the
percentage of the contribution of WVB to women empowerment. However, it can be
said that women who have involved themselves in WVB have successfully improved
their socio-economic condition much more than other women.

 Helped raising income of the family there by raising status of the women;
 Created self employment opportunities for women;
 Helped establishing women‘s control on income and asset of the family;
 Helped women to enhance their own standard of living;
 Accorded power to and greater control over family decision making
 50

6.2 Recommendation
 Training as an intervention on its own, should be extended through appropriate
strategies so as to reach and benefit as many as 100% of the women
entrepreneurs.
 The NGOs have to more focus on the political empowerment of women, as the
study found that political empowerment in both the selected areas were found
to be low.
 Even though women had undergone training, majority of respondents were
lacking regular, proper and need based training which concentrate on utilizing
local resources and local market. Hence, training programmes should be
organized by district rural development agencies, commercial banks and
NGOs keeping in view the above mentioned factors.
 Since women-owned businesses have become increasingly important to
economic growth and employment more proactive, targeted policies are
needed for women, where women have been identified as a target group for
specific policy measures.
 Besides governments effort NGO‘s should provide financial assistance to the
families those who below the poverty line to grant household industries.
 Finally, it is essential to say that women‘s labour remains disregarded areas,
even if some efforts have been made recently. So that a great deal of research
needs to be done in detail to provide necessary information to determine the
factors influencing women‘s labour supply decisions in the area.
 51

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 Wilson, P. (1996). Empowerment: Community economic development from the
inside out. Urban Studies, 33(4-5), 617-630.
 World Vision Bangladesh, Annual Report 2013
 World Vision Bangladesh, Annual Report 2014
 World Vision Bangladesh National Strategy 2013-2017
 Zimmerman, M.A. (1984). Taking aim on empowerment research: On the
distinction between individual and psychological conceptions. American Journal
of Community Psychology, 18(1), 169-177
 54

Appendix 1

Interview Schedule

The Role of World Vision Bangladesh in Women

Empowerment: A Study on Poor Rural Women of Mymensingh

Use only for research Work Schedule Serial

Household Survey Schedule 2016

Muktagacha, Mymensingh
1. Area Information

Name of village/Word: ………………………………………………. Union: Mankon

Sub-district: Muktagacha District: Mymensingh

2. Name of the respondents Sex:  Male  Female

3. Your Age :

4. Would you please tell your education qualification?

 Can not read or write (Illiterate)  can read & write (Literate)  Class 1-
V

 Class VI-X  X-up

7. Your Marital Status (Tick the correction option)

 Married  Unmarried  Widow 

divorce/separated

8. Do you have any children?

 Yes  No

If yes, please tell about them

Name: Age: Class:

 55

Name: Age: Class:

Name: Age: Class:

Name: Age: Class:

9. Who is the head of your Household?

 Husband  Father in law  male children

 Women  Others please specify:

10. Land Information

10.1 Please kindly tell your present land information (decimal)

 No land (Decimal)  00-20 (Decimal)  21-40 (Decimal)

 41-60 (Decimal)  61-80 (Decimal)  81-up (Decimal)

10.2 Can you remember your land amount before joining World Vision
Bangladesh activities?

 No land (Decimal)  00-20 (Decimal)  21-40(Decimal)

 41-60 (Decimal)  61-80 (Decimal)  81-up (Decimal)

11. Occupational information

11.1 Please kindly tell your occupation/ income sources?

 Day labor  Housewife  Poultry farming and livestock rearing

 Service holder  Businessmen  Tailoring

 Shopkeeper  Others Please specify:…………….

11.2 Your occupation before inclusion in World Vision Bangladesh

 Day labor  Housewife  Poultry farming and livestock rearing

 Service holder  Businessmen  Tailoring

 Shopkeeper  Others Please specify:…………….

12. Your monthly income status present and before inclusion in World Vision
Bangladesh
Income range in TK. During study period Before inclusion in WVB
00-01000  
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1001-2000  
2001-3000  
3001-4000  
4001-5000  
5001-6000  
6001-7000  
7001-8000  
8001-9000  
9001-10000  
10001-up  

13. Do you have any saving for future?

 Yes  No

If yes, who tell/inspire you for saving?

 By itself  By WVB  By relative

 Government  other NGO Please specify

14 What are the activities that inspired and motivated?

…………………………………………………………………………………………
….

…………………………………………………………………………………………
….

…………………………………………………………………………………………
….

15. What are the activities / program that help to you to building awareness in
different issues?

…………………………………………………………………………………………
….

…………………………………………………………………………………………
….

…………………………………………………………………………………………
….
 57

16. Did you had saving practice before joining World Vision Bangladesh
activities!

 Yes  No

If no, Why:…………………………………………………………………………

17. Do you have any school going children in your family?

 Yes  No

If yes, who is generally taking decision for children schooling?

 Respondents herself Husband  Both of them All family

members

18. Do you have access/participation in buying/selling family assets? If yes,

 Always  sometime  Others please specify:…..

19. Do you have access/participate in daily household expenditure? If yes,

 Always  sometime  Others please specify:…….

20. Please answer the following question:

Decision Making Capacity Yes Yes No/Not
on Independently Husband Jointly Allowed
a. Decision on rceive credit/loan    
utliation of the laon
b. Decision on Own health    
related issues
c. Decision on purchasing    
requirements for self
d. Decisions regarding    
treatment, during illness
e. Decision making in family    
planning

21. Please provide below information:

Before WVB
Indicators/description During study
inclusion
Casting vote by own initiative  
Involvement in Bank transaction  
Victims legal action taken  
Involved in income generating activities  
(employment)
 58

Leadership role  
Service holders  

22. Awareness Knowledge level in health, education and social issues.

22.1 Health issues

Knowledge area Awareness level before During study period
inclusion in WVB activities
Poor Moderate Good Poor Moderate Good
Personal hygiene      
Sanitation and Hand      
washing Practice
Important of health and      
care

22.2 Nutrition
Knowledge area Awareness level before During study period
inclusion in WVB activities
Poor Moderate Good Poor Moderate Good
Nutrition and it      
importance
Causes of malnutrition      
Effect of malnutrition      

22.3 Education
Knowledge area Awareness level before During study period
inclusion in WVB activities
Poor Moderate Good Poor Moderate Good
Importance of the      
education
Regarding existing legal      
rights and responsibility
Responsibilities of parent      
in child education

22.4 Social and relational issues

Knowledge area Awareness level before During study period
inclusion in WVB activities
 59

Poor Moderate Good Poor Moderate Good

Child & human Rights      
issues
Child abuse, violence      
Child well being      

24. Please kindly provide the below information

Before inclusion in WVB
During study
program
Assets
Controlled Controlled over
Yes Yes
over on it on it
Livestock (Cow & Goat)    
Home furniture    
Poultry    
Lands    
Involvement in social
   
organization

25. What are the World Vision Bangladesh activities that you participated in?

26. Which WVB activities that directly helps to improve your economic status

27. Thank you for your nice cooperation.