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Yolume-1,
lssue-3,
December
202},
ISSN
flo.1998 -
7889
Eastern
University
Journal
An
Empirical
Study
on the
Effectiveness
of NGO
Intervention
in
Rural Women Development
in
Bangladesh
Sawlat
Hilmi
Zaman
*
Mohammad
Mainuddin
Mollah
**
Abstract
In
Bangladesh women constitute about
half
of
the
total population
of
which
80
percent live
in
rural areas.
But
their status
has
been ranked
as the
lowest
in the
world
on the
basis
of
twenty
indicators related
to
health, marriage, children,
education,
employment
and
social
equality.
NGOs
are now an
inseparable
part
of
the
development
process.
The
central
goal
of
all the
NGOs
and
support services, provided
to
them,
is
empowerment
and
development
of
powerless
womenfolk
or
help
them
to
bloom their hidden
potential
and
thus
uplifting
their socio-economic condition
and
enhancing their participation
in all
walks
of
life.
But
the
role
of
NGOs
and the
effectiveness
of
their services
for
developing
the
condition
of
women,
especially
in
rural areas,
are not
beyond question.
Many
argue that NGOs have
been
successful
in
developing women's condition
in
rural areas.
In
contrast, there
are
many,
who
hold
an
opposite
position.
Even though
the
contribution
of the
NGOs
in the
women development
in
Bangladesh process
is
quite
significant.
This
research based paper
is
an
attempt
to
explore
the
effectiveness
of NGO
intervention
in
rural women
development
in
Bangladesh.
This
paper also aims
to
identify
the
socio-economic changes
i.e.
income generating activities,
land
ownership
pattern,
income, savings, health
and
nutritional status, political
and
legal issues, participation
in
decision making process
relating
to
their
life
etc.
among
the
rural women involved with NGOs.Finally,
the
study
identifies
the
barriers faced
by the
women
in
participating
NGO
interventions
and
suggests
appropriate
measures
to
overcome these situations.
Key
Words: NGO, Intervention, Women Development, Effectiveness, Participation,
Health
Status, Empowerment.
1.
Background
of the
Study
Women
belong
to the
most vulnerable section
of our
population.
The
World Bank study
in
Bangladesh highlights that women have limited role
in
household decision-making,
limited access
and
control over household resources, lower level
of
individual assets,
heavy
domestic workloads
and
skills that lead
to
women's vulnerability
(Sebstad
and
Cohen,
2002).Bangladesh
is one of the
poorest
countries
of the
world,
49.80%
of the
total
population live below
the
poverty line
and
33.37%
are
hard-core poor (GOB, 2004).
But
the
reality
is
that women
are the
poorest
among
the
poor.
*
Assistant
Professor,
Institute
of
Business
Administration,
University
of
Dhaka.
**
Lecturer,
Institute
of
Social
Work
and
Research,
University
of
Dhaka.
An
Empirical
Study
on the
Effectiveness
ofNGO
Intervention
in
Rural
Women
Development
in
Bangladesh
The
health situation
of
women
in
Bangladesh
is
also depressing. About
70% of
women
are
victims
of
malnutrition
(Husain,
2002). Although
a
housewife
has to
take care
of all
members
of the
family,
there
is
hardly anyone
to
take care
of
her.
The
daily
per
capita
caloric intake
of
women (1599 K.cal)
is
lower than that
of a man
(1927K.cal) (UNDP,
1993).
Only
25%
pregnant women
receive
untrained attendants
and
maternal mortality
rate
is 4.5 per
1000 live births (Husain,
2002).Bangladesh
is one of the few
countries
of
the
world where
life
expectancy
at
birth
is
lower
for
females
than males respectively
(Perry,
2000; GOB, 2004). Although Bangladesh signed
the
declaration
on
"Education
for
All"
in
1990,
the
country
is far
behind
the
desired literacy level.
The
overall literacy rate
is 58% and
here also females
are
behind males;
for
males
it is 67% and for
females
it is
49.5%
(Hussain,
2002).
It is
worth mentioning that education
for
girls
is
still considered
economically
less
useful
as
investment
(Islam,
1998).
A
large part
of
women
are
potential
hi
actual labor
force,
their contribution
to the
subsistence economy
and
non-formal labor market
is
totally unaccounted for, about
80%
of
women
are
categorized
as
housewives
or
unpaid
family
laborers.
In an
agrarian
society,
land
is the
most valuable income-generating property
(Shehabuddin,
1992).
But
in
Bangladesh,
an
agrarian country, lands
are
owned
by
only
men and
women
are
deprived
of
this
right
(Goswami,
1998).
Due to the
gender inequality, traditional
socio-
cultural
norms,
customs
and
beliefs, women
in
Bangladesh
are
still
out of the
mainstream
of
development process
and
they
are
dependant
and
vulnerable
as
well.
On the
contrary
development
can not be
possible leaving half
of the
population dependant
and
vulnerable.
Thus, women development
is a
priority sector
for the
Government
and to
bring women
into
the
mainstream,
the
Government
of
Bangladesh
has
been implementing various
women development programs since
the
liberation
in
1971.
Today
the
main
focus
of the
government activities, regarding women development,
is on
eliminating gender
inequality
and
bringing women
in the
mainstream
of
development. Important programs
of
government are: protecting women's
rights,
empowering women, creating
self-
employment opportunities
for
income generating activities
and
above
all
ensuring
participation
of
women
hi
poverty alleviation programs.
To
supplement government
efforts
for
developing
the
lots
of
women
hi
Bangladesh, non-
government
organizations
(NGOs)
have been
in
operation since
the
independence
of the
country.
On the
wake
of the
liberation
war
ml
971,
development work
in
Bangladesh
concentrated
all
efforts
on
relief
and
rehabilitation.
The
devastation
was
monumental
and
beyond
the
capacity
of the
government
in the
newly
formed
country. Foreign assistance
poured
in and
with
it
came
the
establishment
of the
non-governmental organizations
(NGOs) which greatly assisted
the
state
to
provide help
to the
rural poor
of the
country
(Hamid,
1996).
As the
need
for
emergency
aid
reduced,
the
initial thrust
of
relief
and
rehabilitation soon turned towards development. However,
the
conceptualization
of the
term
has
been varied
for
different
groups
and has
changed over time (ADB,
2001).
The
orientation focused
on the
rural poor
and the
NGOs concentrated their
efforts
in
mobilizing
the
poor, especially
the
women
for
enhancing their consciousness through
education
etc.
hi
order
to
achieve
social,
economic
and
psychological empowerment
(Hamid,
1996).
Besides,
emphasis
of
some NGOs
was
mainly
on
poverty reduction
and
achieving economic self-reliance through provision
of
services
and by
means
of
income
generation, e.g. provision
of
credit, skill training necessary
to
meet
the
basic survival
needs
of the
poor women. However, many NGOs, through experience
of
close
and
101
Sawlat
Hilmi
Zaman,
Mohammad
Mainuddin
Mollah
continued
work with women
at the
rural levels, realized that
women's
development needs
to
address both poverty
and
patriarchy,
which marginalize women
and
exclude them
from
channels
of
socio-economic
power
and
decision
making
(ADB,
2001).
They therefore
focus
on
socio-cultural
empowerment,
for
ensuring
women's
development, through
concretization
and
other support services along with skill training
and
other income
generating
activities.
Moreover, there
are
NGOs
giving more emphasis
on the
need
for
attitudinal
change
in the
society
and
focusing
on
social consciousness-raising
and
gender
sensitization
though extensive information generation,
and
dissemination
and
media
campaigns
to
facilitate
the
development
of
women
folk
in the
country.
NGOs
have been playing
a
prominent role
for
bringing women into mainstream
and
thus
enhance
their development since last
four
decades. Currently almost
all the
beneficiaries
of
NGO
services
are
women
and
NGOs
are
providing
a set of
different
lands
of
support
services
for
them. Through trial
and
error NGOs have perfected their
own
delivery
systems
of
credit, education, training, health, income generation etc.Moreover,
to
ensure
women development NGOs
are
approaching women's problems
in
many ways, such
as
by
rising
awareness
and
concretizing them with
the
feeling that they
are
also
an
important
economic
force
in the
society;
by
helping them
to
form
own
groups through training
and
motivation;
by
providing them
credit
both
in
cash
and in
kind,
so
that they
can
develop
their
own
resource base
for
gainful
productive operations;
by
providing them knowledge
about health care,
child
care, child bearing
and
other related
issues;
and by
helping them
through
legal
aid and
other means
to fight
social
and
cultural barriers
in
their endeavor
to
come
out
from
the
four
walls
of
their houses
(Alam
et.al.,
1995).
In
such
a
background this study
is
intended
to
analyze
the
effectiveness
of NGO
interventions
hi
rural women development
in
Bangladesh
and the
dynamics
of
socio-
economic change
for
advancement
in the
life
of
women
hi
Bangladesh.
2.
Rationale
of the
Study
According
to the
census report,
the
ratio
of men and
women
in
Bangladesh
is
103:100
and
the
total number
of
women
is
6.34 crore
and
whereas
men are
6.58 crore (BBS,
2001).
Though women represent half
of the
population, they
are not
free
from
various
barriers
such
as
social, political, economic
and
cultural aspects. They
are
being tortured
not
only
hi
family
but
also through
social
crimes such
as
rape, torturing
for
dowry, acids
throwing,
molestation,
beating
to
death, suffocation
to
death, insecurity
at
working place,
sexual
harassment etc.
and
these
are the
common matters
in
women's
life.
But
these
can
not be
allowed
to
continue
so
easily. Because they have
rights to
live with freedom
and
dignity
and
without evaluating them
no
development will
be
possible
as
they represent
half
of the
total population.
In
Bangladesh women
lag
behind
in
development. Although
the
situation
of
urban area
is
better than rural area
but it is not
mentionable.
So,
proper
utilization
of
resources
and for
proper development
of
women, they need
to be
empowered.
102
An
Empirical
Study
on the
Effectiveness
of
NGO
Intervention
in
Rural
Women
Development
in
Bangladesh
The two
factors
that have contributed
to the
building
of a
positive global image
of
Bangladesh
are its
people's rejection
of
authoritarian rules, both civilian
and
military
and
the
role
of its
non-governmental
organizations
(NGOs)
in
grassroot
developments
(Siddiqui, 2002).
In
Bangladesh NGOs emerged
as
significant
actors
in the
development
scene during
the
late
70s and in the 80s and
during
the
course
of the
last
four
decades,
they have made
themselves
inseparable
from the
country's
economic,
social
and
political
development process. NGOs have been playing
a
prominent role
for the
development
of
women
folk,
especially
for
rural women
of the
country. They
are
now, providing
a set of
different
support services
for the
promotion
of
women development
in the
country,
especially
in
rural areas. Their activities
for
ensuring women development, concentrate
mainly
on
mobilization
of
work,
consciousness raising, training
for
income earning
and
providing
credit,
providing non-formal education
and
health facilities, support structure
and
information generation. Many attempts have
so far
been made
to
find
out the
effectiveness
of
NGO's interventions
in
rural women development.
But the
review
of
literature reveals that most
of the
studies
are
segregated
and
isolated
in
nature
as
they
did
not
attempt
to
integrate
and
incorporate
all the
components related
to
women
development. Some studies
focused
on
credit operation
or
tried
to
measure
the
increase
in
decision making ability; some focused
on
self-employment
and
contraceptive use;
and
some
studies also intended
to
measure
the NGO
activities
on
health
and
nutritional
consciousness. Besides, most
of the
studies were intended
to
measure only
the
impact
of
the of
credit services.
But a
comprehensive study including
all
these components
and all
the
services provided
by
NGOs together
is
really
a
rare one.
In
such
a
context, this study
attempts
to
give
a
comprehensive picture
of
women development situation
in
rural areas
considering various
factors
related
to
women development
and
various interventions
provided
by the
NGOs. This study also helps Non-Governmental, Governmental
and
voluntary
organizations
to
take
or
develop realistic programs
to
supply
information,
data
and
the
epidemic
forms
of
women development.
The
main rationale
is
about women
and
encouraging people
to
protest
the
violence against women
and to
aware women about their
present situation, their development
and
change themselves into
powerful
human beings.
3.
Objectives
of the
study
The
principal objective
of the
study
is to
explore
the
effectiveness
of
NGO's interventions
in
rural women development
in
Bangladesh.
For
achieving this some
of the
specific
objectives
of
this study
are-
• To
know
the
socio-economic, demographic
and
family
related information
of the
rural women;
• To
know
the
change
or
improvement
in
economic
and
income generating activities
among
the
beneficiaries
of
NGOs
and
their command over resources;
• To
determine
the
effectiveness
of
NGOs interventions
in
bringing about change
in
health
and
nutritional status among
the
beneficiaries
and
upholding their social,
political
and
legal
rights;
• o
know
the
effectiveness
of
NGOs interventions
for
enhancing decision-making
ability among rural women
in
different
sectors
of
life;
and
•
Finally,
to
identify
the
barriers
faced
by the
women
in
participating
in
NGOs
interventions
and
suggest appropriate measures
to
overcome these situations.
103
SawlatHilmi
Zaman,
Mohammad
Mainuddin
Mollah
4.
Research
Methodology
This study
is
based
on
sample survey method
of
social research
and
conducted
in a
village
named
Bhadarti
located
in
Kaliganj
under
Gazipur
district. This
village
was
selected
purposively
since renowned NGOs have their activities there.
All the
women
receiving services
from
different
NGOs working
in the
selected
village
was
considered
as
population
of
this
study
and
each
of
those service receiving women
was
considered
as the
unit
of
analysis.
In the
study village almost
all the
women were
found
associated with
one
or
more than
one
NGOs
and the
sample were taken simply
at
random.
A
test
of one
hundred
and
twenty
village women
was
selected randomly. Necessary information
for
this
study
was
collected
from
primary source.
The
beneficiary women
of
different
NGOs were
the
sources
of
information.
In
some cases secondary sources were also used
for the
fulfillment
of the
research need.
To
collect data, interview schedule
was
applied
as a
principal instrument. Using this interview schedule, written
in
lucid Bengali
and
comprising both structured
and
unstructured questions, information
was
collected
by
direct interview technique. Observation, listening, questioning, correspondence
and
consultation were also used
as a
secondary data collection technique
for
ensuring
the
accuracy
of
data.
The
interview schedule
was
pre-tested taking
a
sample
of 8
women,
2
from
each
NGO
working
in the
study area.
After
adequate compilation
of the
collected/obtained
information,
it has
been classified
and
tabulated under
various/different
characteristics
and
analyzed statistically. Simple statistical methods such
as
percentage,
central tendency
and
correlation have been applied
and
results have been interpreted.
5.
Findings
of the
study
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs)
are now
being considered
as
development
partners
of
Government.
In
Bangladesh context they have been playing
a
prominent role
in
the
development
scene,
especially
in the
women development scene,
for the
last
four
decades. They
are now
operating various interventions with
the end of
women
development
in
view. This study
was
undertaken
to find out the
effectiveness
of
these
interventions
for
enhancing
the
overall condition
of
rural women
in
Bangladesh.
The
major
findings of
this study
are
presented
in
this chapter.
5.1.
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
family
income
of the
respondents
are
analyzed
and
presented
in
this
section.
The
maximum numbers
of
respondents (30.83%)
of
this study were
in the age
range
between 30-35
years,
while minimum numbers
of
respondents (0.83%) were
found
in the
age
range
between
60-65
years.
The age of
7.50%,
13.33%, 19.17%
and
11.67%
respondents ranged between 15-20, 20-25,
25-30,
and
35-40
years
respectively
(Table-1).
Most
of
them
(94.17%)
were married. Among
all the
respondents
the
proportions
of
unmarried
and
widow were 0.83%
and
2.50% respectively. Besides, 1.67% respondents
were
separated/divorced^
and
0.83%
was
deserted.
104
An
Empirical
Study
on the
Effectiveness
of
NGO
Intervention
in
Rural
Women
Development
in
Bangladesh
Table-1:
Distribution
of the
Respondents According
to Age
Group
Age
(years)
15-20
20-25
25-30
30-35
35-40
40-45
45-50
50-55
_
55-60
60-65
Total
Frequency
9
16
23
37
14
11
5
2
2
1 _
120
Percentage
7.50
13.33
19.17
30.83
11.67
9.17
4.17
1.67
1.67
0.83
100.00
Source:
Constructed
from the
Survey.
Among
all the
respondents 10.83% were illiterate (who
couldn't
read
or
write)
and
rest
of
them (89.17%) were literate. Among
the
literate, 30.83% respondents could only read
and
write, 37.50%
respondents
had
primary
level
(class
I-V)
education,
and
20.83%
respondents
had
some experience
of
secondary level (class
VI-X)education
(Table-2).
Table-2:
Distribution
of the
Respondents According
to
Educational Level
Educational
Level
Illiterate (Can
not
read
or
write)
Literate (Can read
and
write)
Class
I-V
Class
VI-X
Total
Frequency
13
37
45
25
120
Percentage
10.83
30.83
37.50
20.83
100.00
Source:
Constructed
from the
Survey.
Maximum respondents (34.45%)
had
three children followed
by
14.28% respondents
having
one
child only.
On the
other hand 4.20% were recorded having
no
children
and
majority
of
them
(67.50%)
belonged
to
single
family.
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. 71.67%,
9.17%
and
10.83% respondents families were headed
by
their husbands, fathers/father-in-
laws
and
male children respectively. Only 5.83% respondents were
found
as
heads
of
their
own
families.
It was
observed, during
the
study, that
the
monthly income
of
most
of the
families
of the
respondents (46.67%) ranged between BDT. 3000-5000. Only
a few
respondents' (1.66%)
family
income ranged between BDT. 11,000-13,000.
105
An
Empirical
Study
on the
Effectiveness
ofNGO
Intervention
in
Rural
Women
Development
in
Bangladesh
5.2.
Information
Related
to
Membership with
NGOs
and
Changes
in
Economic
Status
of
Rural
Women
Information
related
to
NGOs membership, receiving services
from
NGOs, main income
earner
of the
family,
user
of
credit, sectors
of
using credit,
decision
maker regarding
credit using, present
and
previous income, expenditure
and
savings,
and
land ownership
pattern
are
analyzed
and
presented
in
this section.
Four
major
NGOs were
found
providing services
in the
study
village
and
village women
were
found
involved
in
receiving services
from
more than
one
NGO.
Proportions
of
respondents' involvement with
two
prominent NGOs
in
Bangladesh,
BRAC
and
Grameen
Bank,
were 65.00%
and
19.17%
respectively. Besides,
15.83%,
and
10.00%
respondents
were
involved with
ASA and
Karitas
respectively.
This study reveals
a
mixed
and
some interesting
findings
regarding
different
areas
of
women
development. According
to the
study findings, credit
is the
principle support
(97.50%) service provided
by
NGOs. Only 17.50%
and
30.83% cases were recorded
who
had got
some support
for
both health
and
homestead gardening
(Table-3).
Table-3:
Distribution
of the
Respondents According
to
Services Received
from NGO
Memberships
Service
Health
Credit
Support
for
homestead gardening
Frequency
21
117
37
Percentage
(n=120)
17.50
97.50
30.83
Source:
Constructed
from the
Survey.
*More
than
one
answer
was
possible,
In
almost
all
cases (51.67%) respondents' husbands were
found
as
main income earners
of
their families. Only
in
21.67% cases
the
respondents themselves were
found
acting
as
the
main income earner
of
their families. With regard
to
loan receiving,
it was
observed that
the
maximum
number
of
respondents (25.83%) received loan amount ranging between
taka
10,000-20,000.
Although village women receive loan
from
NGOs, their husbands mainly
use it.
According
to
this
study
only 22.50% village women
use the
received loan
by
themselves
and in
25.83% cases loans
are
utilized
by
husband
and
wife
jointly.
Women
in the
rural areas invested their received loans
in
various productive
and
non-
productive sectors.
But it is
worth mentioning that,
a
significant number
of
respondents
(12.50%)
used their received loans
to
repay previous loans
or
debts
(Table-4).
106
Sawlat
Hilmi
Zaman,
Mohammad
Mainuddin
Mollah
Table-4:
Sectors
of
Using Loan
Loan
Using
Sector
Buying
chicken/ducks
Buying
cows/goats
Buying
van/rickshaw
Buying
sewing machine
Buying
land
Buying
husking machine
Buying
shallow machine
Buying
TV/CD/Mobile
Cultivation
Children's marriage
Children's education
Establishing tube-well
Small business
Repay
loan/debt/lend
Improvement
of
residence
Land
bandhak
Making
ornaments
Has
given others
to use
Frequency
33
27
3
11
13
2
5
6
21
4
2
17
5
15
18
3
2
4
Percentage
27.50
22.50
2.50
9.17
10.83
1.67
4.17
5.00
17.50
3.33
1.67
14.17
4.17
12.50
15.00
2.50
1.67
3.33
Source:
Constructed
from
the
Survey.
*More
than
one
answer
was
possible.
Though
village women receive
credit/loan
from
their membership
NGO/NGOs,
decisions
regarding
utilization
of the
loan
are
usually taken
by
their husbands.
In the
study village
it
was
observed that
hi
most
cases
(43.33%)
respondents' husbands took
the
decision
of
utilization
of the
loan. Decision
was
taken
by the
respondent's
all
family
members,
children,
and
husband
and
children
jointly
in
10.00%, 8.33%,
and
6.67% cases
respectively. Only
14.17%
respondents informed that they alone
had
taken
the
decision
for
utilizing their received loan.
In
17.50% cases decision
was
taken
by
respondent
and
her
husband jointly.
With
regard
to
personal monthly
income,
it was
observed during
the
study that
the
income
of
maximum number
of
respondents ranged between
Tk.200-400
followed
by
income range between
Tk.
0-200
and
Tk.400-600
respectively
for
both
the
cases-before
NGO
membership
and
during
the
study (19.17%
and
15.00%; 15.00%; 9.17%
and
11.67%;
and
9.17% respondents
for
these income ranges respectively).
A
notable change
had
been evident
for the
income range between
Tk.
600-800(Table-5).
107
An
Empirical
Study
on the
Effectiveness
ofNGO
Intervention
in
Rural
Women
Development
in
Bangladesh
Table
5:
Monthly Personal Income
and
Expenditure
of the
Respondents
Before
and
After
Their
Involvement with
NGO/NGOs
Taka(BDT)
0-200
200-400
400-600
600-800
800-1000
1000-1200
1200-1400
1400-1600
1600-1800
1800-2000
2000-2200
2200-2400
2400-2600
2600-2800
2800-3000
3000-3200
Total
Monthly Income
Previous
18(15.00)
23
(19.17)
14(11.67)
13
(10.83)
19(15.83)
6
(5.00)
13
(10.83)
4
(3.33)
1
(0.83)
2(1.67)
3
(2.50)
1
(0.83)
-
1
(0.83)
2(1.67)
120
(100.00)
During Study
11
(9.17)
18
(15.00)
11
(9.17)
23
(19.17)
20
(16.67)
7
(5.83)
12
(10.00)
5(4.17)
2(1.67)
2(1.67)
3
(2.50)
-
-
2(1.67)
2(1.67)
2(1.67)<