WOMEN IN NGOS: OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

After fifty years of independence, and in the changing economic sphere of Bangladesh, women play a critically significant role in the development of the country nonetheless as a consequence of dereliction within the household and discrimination in the workplace, women still belong to the lowest rung of disempowered group in comparison with the status of any other marginalized community in Bangladesh. Many if not all development partners agree that in the last two decades, Bangladesh has not only achieved enviable economic success but also have upgraded the status and quality of life in rural areas especially for women. In this connection, initiatives taken by Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) as strategic partners of government in empowering women is well recognized and appreciated but not all efforts are duly noted. Existing literature is inconclusive in dictating the contribution of NGOs in changing the socio-economic status of women in the northern region of Bangladesh. In this context, a comparative study between women (not involved with and involved with NGOs) would provide a complete picture of the contribution of NGOs in developing the social and economic status of women. Considering the maintained objective, this study had collected data on socio-economic condition of women who were involved with NGOs and who were never get connected with NGOs in the northern region of Bangladesh. The study was carried out in ten unions of Thakurgaon district by employing mixed method approach with questionnaire survey on 386 women, 20 KIIs, 20 case studies and 4 FGDs. The findings, in summary, suggest that women who were actively involved with NGOs had performed well in all development parameters such as health, income, savings, participation in politics, decision making, and disaster management in comparison with the women who were not involved in NGOs or NGO related development programs. For a holistic development of the whole community, large scale intervention of NGOs is required and it is vital that more and more women are connecting, and sharing cross-cultural and cross generational dialogues via the help of NGOs' training program.