Gender Dimension of Arsenicosis: A Sociological Study in Selected Villages of Nilphamari District

Abstract

This study focuses on gender dimension of arsenicosis at selected village in Nilphamari district from a sociological point of view. It seeks to explore the gender specific nature of vulnerabilities related to arsenicosis and strategies taken to mitigate the vulnerabilities of arsenicosis in Nilphamari district. The study also addresses several research questions: What are the nature of vulnerabilities of men and women related to arsenicosis? What are the impacts of arsenicosis on women? What are the variations of the responses to arsenicosis between man and women? What is the gender based coping mechanisms addressing the vulnerabilities? In countering to these questions an exploratory research has been conducted. This research also adopted a sociological perspective to analysis the situation of men and women particularly the women’s sufferings due to arsenicosis in the northern part of Bangladesh. The study follows qualitative method to have the in-depth explanations of complex issues that have greater influences on arsenicosis patients. The most prevalent vulnerabilities of arsenicosis include physical, economic, psychological and social factors that depend on gender. The qualitative method has been employed in this work to obtain sensitive issues related to gender specially the mechanisms that have taken by the arsenicosis patients in Nilphamari. Through such procedures, this study contributes in demonstrating gender dimension of arsenicosis in selected villages of Nilphamari district.