Empowering Rural Women

Rural women, especially the poorer ones are in the most disadvantageous position in Bangladesh society from all respects. They are not only deprived of education, wage and access to power structure, moreover frequently they become victims of inhuman violence. From within the society now there is no institutional mechanism to safeguard the interests and rights of women. In fact, women have already been the most powerless members of the rural community who are quite unable to protect themselves and ensure their rights as human beings as well as the active members of the society. In such circumstances, empowerment of women is now being considered as an effective means for the emancipation of women. Most of the NGOs are now working with this assumption and running a number of programs in rural areas. However, among others, micro credit program occupies important position in NGO intervention under which rural women are organized into groups, and after raising awareness they are provided with credit support to run income-generating activities destined to strengthening economic base in the family and society.