NATURE OF WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN RURAL SOCIETY

CHAPTER-FOUR

NATURE OF WOMEN PARTICIPATION IN RURAL SOCIETY

4.1 Introduction

Women participation in rural society is innumerable now. They have to be imagined their need in society. Social development and progress is totally incomplete without their effective participation in it. Women in social development programme tended to treat women as a special target group of benefïciaries in projects and programmes. Policy framework has now been broadened to reflect ways in which men and women relations constrain or advance efforts to boost growth and reduce poverty for all. The perspective is one of analyzing the stnicture of gender relations within the household (World Bank, 1994). According to (Pearson, 1992) "a major criticism of the Women in Development approach is that its basic assumption is flawed: it starts from the premise that women have been excluded from devel-opment. But women's time, energy, work and skills are involved in every aspect of the development process; it is the inequality of gen-der relations and the continuing subordination of women that ensure that women's contribution is not matched by recognition and remu-neration in social, political and economie terms.  So, participation of women in rural society is mainly development program, such as rural educational health, family planning, tree plantation, rural development activities and another important participation is rural political activities, which are now being done by rural women.

4.2 Category of women participation in rural society of Bangladesh.

In Bangladesh, women are now playing an important role in society. They are now participated themselves in various social development for well being of society and its people. Their involvement in society is numerous such as-educational program, women development program, heath, family planning, mahila sammitee, social organization, NGO’s etc. are common activities of them.

Table 4.1 Women participation in society in Bangladesh

Category of social programs	Percentage
Education	58%
Health	42%
Family planning	40.65%
Mohila sammittee	27.2%
Social organization	13%
NGO’s activity	8%

Source: BIDS (2006)

4.3 Category of women participation in the study area:

In the study area, women participation in society is not so remarkable. But there are held so many social programs in which participation of women are much needed. In tact some activities are totally women related. They are engaged with rural Education, Tree Plantation,  Family Planning,  Health,  NGO’s Activity.

4.3.1 Women involvement in rural social program in the study area

In Kalidaha union women are society minded. They have much feeling about their society. They think about various problems and their solution. They want a happy and developed social environment. But their thought can’t grow up so far as they want. Because, their involvement with social programme is not so developed.

Table 4.2 Involvement with rural social program:

Opinion of the respondent	Frequency	Percentage
Yes	32	22.85
No	108	77.15

   Source: Field survey-2010

It is observed that 77.15 % are not involved themselves with any rural social programme and it’s involvement is only 22.85 %.

4.3.1.1 Table: Types of social program

Table 4.3 Types of social program

Types of program	Frequency	Percentage
Education	6	4.28
Tree plantation	0	0
Family planning	3	2.14
Health	11	7.86
NGO’s Activity	15	10.72
Others	5	3
Not involve	100	72
	140	100

   Source: Field survey-2010

It is found that very few women engaged with various rural social programme. There are 4.28% in education, 3% in family planning 10.72% in NGO activities and 8% in health activities. So, to develop women socially our all efforts and strategies will be designed to enhance the capacity of women and empower them to meet the positive social work and social program, which may flow from the globalization process.

4.3.3 Women in rural educational program  in study area

Education is the most important fundamental right for women. Equal access to education for women and girls will be ensured. It climate discrimination, universalize education, eradicate illiteracy, create a gender sensitive educational system, increase enrolment and retention rates of girls and improve the quality of education to facilitate life long learning as well as development of occupation/vocation /technical skills by women. But educational facility is not so adequate here. There are illiterate, semi-illiterate and literate respondent as the aspect of given information.

Table 4.4 Women in rural educational program

Opinion of the respondent	Frequency	percentage
Yes	33	22.85
No	107	77.15

     Source: Field survey-2010

It is observed that 77.15% are not involved any social educational program and its involvement is only 22.85%

4.3.4 Involvement with rural women development program

Bangladesh is a developing country most of the people are live in village here. So, rural development is very essential for our country development. Urbanization and development of towns fully depends on rural resources and manpower. As half of the people are women, so rural development as will as our country development is totally incomplete without our women especially rural women. Now-a-days rural women are participating in various development program. They how take it as a challenging job.

Table 4.5 Number of involvement

Opinion of the respondent	Frequency	Percentage
Yes	25	17.85
No	115	82.14
Total	140	100

    Source: Field survey-2010

4.3.5 Types of women development program /movement

There field of rural development program are mainly of education, family planning and health program, there program are active here. Rural women are progress slowly and aware about it. Now they want to go away from their house. They want to bordered their area and take all scopes they desire. But some problems also exist here in the way of their development. So, expecting out come is not so good. The women of study area engaged with various types of program which was remarkable.

Fig. 4.1 types of program

Source: Field survey-2010

Here, we have seen that very few women are engaged in rural development program and this involvement is 12% in education, 6% in family planning and 9% in health. However, the involvement rate is low but it is very fruitful news for own rural women that they now trying themselves to engage in various social welfare and women development program.

4.3.6 Women in Rural development

Ours is an agro based economy where most of the people larch their live through direct agriculture of land or agri-related activities which raw materials are come from agricultural and natural resources. Our, rural women are the main preserver and user of resources. Now a day our rural women had done various socio-economic activities in their own area by using rural local resources and assets.  After, finishing their all duties in household, they engaged themselves is various developing and learning works, like vegetable gardening, animal bearing, faming, sewing-nakshikatha, horticulture, getting and giving training, crop processing, education and schooling NGO activities, social welfaring laboring in infrastructural sector, handicrafts, small business, like grocery shop, hotel, tea shop etc. These jobs not only develop their life style and their own house but also develop their rural economy and society and rural living Slandered.

Table 4.6 Women participation in rural development activities.

Opinion of Respondent	Frequency	Percentage (%)
Yes	100	71.42
No	40	28.57

Source: Field survey 2010

4.3.7 The way of rural development activities (RDA)

Women participated in rural development activates through various way

Fig 4.2 The way of RDA

                     Source: Field survey 2010

There are some leading way such as agriculture (28.57%), training (21.42%), loan (10.71%) and others thorough which rural development activities are done.

4.4 Women in Polities

There is a brief and glorious history of women society in polities of Bangladesh. One participated with men together in various social and political, and war. At present our prime minister and opposition leader both are women. Our declared that. To ensure women participation in all sectors of national life, all possible steps have to be taken. According to the right of giving vote, women earned the right of giving vote, women earned the right of giving their vote as men. But the equal rights of women in polities have hot established get. The field of local polities specially union parishad is well known to women society. But women pur is not so strong here also 19 in 1976 , by established union perished bill, two seat for female member, were preserved. They are selected by union parisshad. In 198, the seat increased from 2 to 3. But nominated member were not selected though direct vote of people. Generally, the relatives of up chairman or and powerful person are selected for these post. In 1997, the direct vote system established for these past.

4.4.1 Feature of women participation in various Up Election in Bangladesh.

Table 4.7 The nominated and elaected women chairman in various up election:

Election year	Namber of UP	Namber of Nominated	Number of elected
1973	4352	-	1
1977	4,352	19	4
1982-83	4400	79	4
1988	4401	-	1
1992	4450	115	1
1997	4479	102	24
2003	4228	232	22

Source: Complied from shajeda Akter, “problems and potentidals of women empowerment in local government system in Bangladesh in local government system in Bangladesh a study of some selected union Parisd” Social science Journal Vol-10, Rajshahi University, 2005, p, 42. Shirin sultana, women’s participation in union parishad: Changing status in private and public pace, AN unpublished M. Phil Thesis, Du, 2005, P. 64. Bi-election.

4.4.2 Partciipation in rural political activity in study area

Rural women are naturally congervative. So, their political idea are very poor. However very few of them are connected with rural political activity and its number increasing day by day.

Table 4.8 Involvment with rural political activity

Opinion of respondent	Frequency	Percentage
Yes	5	3.57
No	135	96.2

     Source: Field survey-2010

Here it is found taht almost 12.8% are invelved with rural political activities where 87.2% are not involved anywhere.

4.4.3 Participation in up election of the study area

Now rural women are very careful and keep awareness about their right and opportunity, which results their participation in up election. They keep their valuable vote for their choisable person and some of them are nominated for up member also.

Table 4.9 Participation in up election

Opinion of respondent	Frequency	Percentage
Yes	50	35
No	90	65

Source: Field survey-2010

But there are still lack of participation are seen. About 65% are not participated in up election and only 35% are involved with it.

4.5 Conclusion

Women with society and social program are very closely related. The participation of women is society is now being increased day by day. In BD mostly 58% of women are engaged with social educational program, whereas in study area it’s involvement is only 22.85% which should be measured. Health and family planning sector also be not so developed and only 9% and 10% are engaged respectively were, whereas, in health and family planning of whole country are 42% and 40.65% respectively. There is a marked sector of Mohila Sammittee in BD society and it’s involvement is 27.2%, which are not so developed in study area. But NGO activities in study area is more develop than that of BD and it’s involvement is 10.72% in study area and 8% in BD. Political activities are not so remarkable in study area in comparison to BD. There have no found any women up chairman in the study area. But 35% are participated in up election through giving vote participated in up election through giving vote and playing role as a up member. So, participation of women in society have to be developed. In this case, women involvement should be increased and their political awareness and fundamental rights should be established. In these way they can play a great role in society and develop it.