Pertinent Education and Women Empowerment: A Study on Rajshahi Division in Bangladesh

Abstract

Women empowerment is one of the most important issues of modern era. After a major contribution in the development process, female population has low status as compared to men, specifically in the developing world. Gradually, it has become a major topic of socio-economic and demographic research. Considering its importance, an attempt has been made in this study to investigate the various issues of empowerment such as women's preference about rearing and education of male-female children, decision making activities on economic, household and freedom of physical movement. Along with these, information on five indicators like equal right in the society, right for education, wage, maternal health care and participation in politics are used to measure women's empowerment. Different organizational [Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and/or Government Organizations (GOs)] contribution to develop women's leadership also presented. At the end women's tackling capability against husband's and familial tortures tried to explore in Rajshahi division of Bangladesh There is not so difference in male-female educational enrollment in primary but a slight difference exists in secondary level. There is still a considerable difference exist in male-female enrollment in tertiary level for both rural and urban areas. The perception about the women's importance level concerning child rearing and child education increases with the increasing of their own educational level. Regarding the measurement of women empowerment, women are comparatively less empowered in economic purpose than that of other two dimensions like as freedom of physical movement and household decision making purpose. Women are more informed about maternal health care and female educational priority among the various indicators of women empowerment through different persons and/or organizations. Age of the women have an important impact on receiving information about different types of women empowerment indicators. Women's participation in different organizations is merely visible in rural areas and they are mainly engaged in NGOs and community based organizations. A larger part of the women who are illiterate and even up to secondary level of education perceived that the leaders of different organizations where they engaged have moderate type of capability for leadership. Maximum organizational leaders are selected within the members ignoring the work efficiency in the organization. Consequently, most of the women opined that they do not get any optimum and fruitful benefit from these organizations. Women with bad or even very bad spousal relationship irrespective of all levels of education have better empowerment than those women who have good spousal relationship. Further those women who face torture by husband as well as family members irrespective of all levels of education, they occupied better empowerment than those who faced any torture. This contradictory result may become from the lack of self-sense about the indicators of women empowerment as well as the degree of relationship among the family members and husband. The younger women and those who have lower age at marriage face more torture by their husbands and family members than that of their counterparts. Moreover, the women who lived in female headed household face more torture than that of male headed household. It is evident that due to lack of pertinent education, women are not capable to tackle against any torture by husband and/or family members. The outputs of the study demonstrate the policy implications that can improve the empowerment of reproductive aged women. Education and employment opportunities should be created for them to increase their self-esteemed and also increase their status in society. Finally, it is suggested to provide effective policy to minimize the gap between men and women and to ensure their rights 111 every sphere of life.