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

Arbeitspapier

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

Angaben zum Objekt

• Sprache: Englisch

Verweise und Beziehungen

• Erschienen in: Series: Working Paper ; No. 2004:20

Klassifikation und Themen

• Klassifikation: Wirtschaft ; Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination ; Time Allocation and Labor Supply
• Thema: ender division of labour ; empowerment

Beteiligte, Orts- und Zeitangaben

• Ereignis: Geistige Schöpfung
• (wer): Hossain, Mahabub ; Bose, Manik Lal ; Ahmad, Alia
• Ereignis: Veröffentlichung
• (wer): Lund University, School of Economics and Management, Department of Economics
• (wo): Lund
• (wann): 2004

Weitere Informationen

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/259892
• Letzte Aktualisierung: 10.03.2025, 11:42 MEZ