BREAKING THE CHAIN: DYNAMICS OF INTRA-HOUSEHOLD RELATIONSHIPS & NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS IN BANGLADESH

Abstract

This paper attempts to focus on the dynamics of the family and social relationship of women through the prism of NGO activities in Bangladesh. It examines the involvement of women in NGO activities and its impact on the dynamics of the household and social relationships, particularly of women, in the light of field data from Bangladesh. Gradual demonstration of the effects of success stories in society acted as the final contributing factor in generating mass acceptance of NGOs in Bangladesh. As a result, people’s attitude toward and trust in NGOs have changed significantly, allowing women to participate in the public domain enhancing their economic and social situation simultaneously. Nevertheless, women’s movement and activities continue to be restricted by both male members of the household as well as society. Likewise, the research conducted, in this case, was qualitative in nature and samples were taken from members of selected NGOs in Bangladesh; 20 case studies were done on the basis of in-depth interviews and participant observation. It was concluded that two major factors can propel the breaking of the chain of societal oppression of women in Bangladesh: internal poverty and length of NGO membership. Word Count: 8000 words

References

1. Abdullah, T. and Zeidenstein, A. S. 1982. Village Women of Bangladesh. (Oxford: Pergamon Press).
2. Adnan, S. (1989). Birds in a Cage: Institutional Change and Women’s Position in Bangladesh. Paper presented at the conference, Women’s Position and Demographic Change in the Course of Development, IUSSP, Asker, Norway, 15-18 June, 1988.
3. Agarwal, B. (1985). “Women and Technological Change in Agriculture: Asian and African Experience”, in Ahmed, I. (eds). Technology and Rural Women: Conceptual and Empirical issues. (London: George Allen and Unwin). pp. 67-114.
4. Amin, S. and Pebley, R. A. (1994). “Gender Inequality within Household: The Impact of a Women’s Development Programme in 36 Bangladeshi Villages”. In The Bangladesh Development Studies, Volume XXII June-Sept.1994 Numbers 2&3. Dhaka: BIDS).
5. Arens, J. and Van Beurden, J.(1977). Jhagrapur: Poor Peasants and Women in a Village in Bangladesh. (Amsterdam: Third World Publications).
6. Boserup, E. 1970. Women’s Role in Economic Development. (New York: St. Martin’s Press).
7. Bottomore, T. B. (1986). Sociology : A Guide to Problems and Literature. 3rd Impression. (Blackie & Son (India) Limited)., Bombay. pp.178-180, 196)
8. Cain, M., Khanam, R.S., and Nahar, S. (1979).“Class, Patriarchy and Women’s Work in Bangladesh”. Population and Development Review, 5 (3), 405-38.

9. Carr, M., Chen, M., and Jhabvala, R. (1996). Speaking out: Women’s Economic Empowerment in South Asia, Intermediate Technology (London: Intermediate Technology Publications)
10. Cain,M.et.al.(1979). Class, patriarchy , and women’s work in Bangladesh. Population and Development Review 5:405-438. p.18.
11. Chen, M. 1986. A Quiet Revolution: Women in Transition in Rural Bangladesh. (Dhaka: BRAC Prokashana).
12. Chen, M. and Ghuznavi, R. (1979). Women in Food-for-Work: The Bangladesh Experience. (Bangladesh: World Food Programme).
13. Chowdhury, A. N. (1989). Let Grassroots Speak, People’s Participation, Self-help Groups and NGOs in Bangladesh. (Dhaka : University Press Limited).
14. Dreze, J., and Sen, A. (eds). (1996). Indian Development: Selected Regional Perspectives. (Oxford and Delhi: Oxford University Press).
15. Duggan, L., p.(1997). “Households and Families”. In :Visvanathan, N. (eds)., (1997). The Women, Gender and Development Reader. (Dhaka :The University Press Limited)pp.103,107
16. Giddens, A. (1993). Sociology. (Cambridge: Polity Press).
17. Goldschmidt-Claremont, L. (1987). Economic Evaluations of unpaid Household Work: Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania. International labour office, Geneva
18. Guhathakurta.M. 2003 Globalization, Class ,Gender Relations : The Shrimp Industry In SouthWestern Bangladesh. In: Matiur Rahman(ed).(2003).Globalisation, Environmental Crisis and Social Change In Bangladesh (Dhaka:The University Press Ltd).p298-300
19. Hashemi, S.M., Schuler, S.R. and Riley A.P. (1996). “Rural Credit Program and Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh,” World Development, Vol. 24,635-53.
20. Hamid, S. (1996). Why Women Count: Essays on Women in Development in Bangladesh. pp.118,130 (Dhaka: The University press Limited).
21. Harris, O. (1981). “Household as Natural Unit”. In Kate Young, Carol Wolkowitz and Roslyn McCullagh (eds).,Marriage and the Market:Women’s Subordination International Perspective. (London: CSE Book).
22. Haviland, A. W.(1985). Anthropology. 4th edition. (New York : Holt, Rinehart and Winston)
23. Hossain, F., Ulvila, M, and Newaz, W. (eds.). 1992. Learning NGOs and Dynamics of Development Partnership, (Dhaka: Ahsania Books/Ahsania Mission. pp.97-127.
24. Islam , Shamima, (ed). (1982). Exploring the other half : Field Research with Rural Women in Bangladesh. (Dhaka : BRAC Printers). p.18.
25. Jary, D., and Jary, J. (1991). Dictionary of Sociology. (Glasgow :Harper Collins Publishers).
26. Kabeer, N. (1994). Reversed Realities, Gender Hierarchies in Development Thought. (London: Verso).
27. Kabeer, N.(1985).“Organizing Landless Women in Bangladesh”. Community Development Journal, 20 (3), pp. 203-211.
28. Kuper, A., and Kuper J. (1985).The Social Science Encyclopedia. (London, Boston and Henley: Routledge & Kegan Paul).
29. Lily, F. B. (1997). Construction of the Gender Division of Labour in Rural Production Systems in Bangladesh: Policy Implications. Unpublished Ph.D. Thesis New Delhi.
30. Literacy Assessment Survey (LAS) 2011 , Published in 2013, Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) Statistics and Informatics Division (SID) Ministry of Planning Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
31. Mahmud, S. (2003). Actually how Empowering is Microcredit?,In Development and Change, (The Hague: Institute of Social Studies)
32. Mizan, A. N. (1994). In quest of Empowerment, The Grameen Bank Impact On Women’s Power and Status. (Dhaka: University Press Limited).
33. Momsen, J. H. (2001).Women and Development in the Third World (London: Routledge), p.27,47
34. Momsen, J. H., and Townsend, J. (eds). (1987). Geography and Gender in the Third World. (London: Hutchinson).
35. Mosse, C.J. (1993). Half The World , Half a Chance : An Introduction to Gender and Development.(Oxford :Alden Press)p.66
36. Murdock, G.P. (1949) Social Structure (New York: Macmillion-co) p.10.
37. Naved, R. T. (1994). “Empowerment of Women: Listening to the voices of women”. The Bangladesh Development Studies, Vol.XXII, BIDS, Dhaka. p.173, 174.
38. Peplau, A. L. and Gordon, I. S. 1985. “Women and men in Love: Gender Differences in close heterosexual relationships”. Pp.257-291. In Virginia E. O’leary. Rhoda K. Unger, and Barbara S. Wallston(eds.). Women, Gender and Social Psychology. Hillsdale. NJ:Erlbaum Associates. In Alexis J. Walker, Journal of Marriage & The Family, Vol. 51, No. 4 Nov. 1988.
39. Rahman, H. Z.,and Hossain, M. (1992). Rethinking Rural Poverty: A case of Bangladesh. (Dhaka: University Press Limited).
40. Rahman, M. (eds.). (2003) . Globalization, Environmental Crisis and Social Change in Bangladesh. ( Implication of woman-headed domestic groups already have gained attention. Cain et.al.1979; Ialam1982; Wiest 1991;1998),. (Dhaka: The University Press Limited)., p.18-19.
41. Razzaque, A. M. ,et.al . (eds) (2011). Poverty, Intra-Household Distribution and gender Relations in Bangladesh : Evidence and Policy Implications. (Dhaka : The University Press Limited).
42. Robinson, M. (1992) ‘NGOs and rural poverty alleviation : results of an empirical investigation and implications for scaling up’. Paper for conference on `Scaling up NGO impact : Leaning from Experience` , IDPM, Manchester, January 1991, p.10.
43. Visvanathan, N. ,(et al.). (1997). The Women, Gender and Development Reader. (Dhaka :The University Press Limited).
44. Wiest .R.E.(1998 ). A Comparative perspective on household, gender and kinship in relation to disaster. In The Gendered Terrain of Disaster : Through women’s Eyes, pp. 63-79, E Enarson and B.H. Morrow, eds. (Westport, CT: Praeger Publisher
45. Wallace, T. and March, C. (ed.). 1991. Changing Perspectives, Writings on Gender and Development. (Oxford: OXFAM.)
46. Young, K. 1993. Planning Development with Women, Making a World of Difference. (London: MacMillan Press).