GBFan
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(CNSNews.com) - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is planning to award a $5.5 to $6 million grant to “increase the empowerment of women” in Bangladesh, which includes increasing their “community leadership,” “decision-making” and “time-management” skills and monitoring how they spend their free time. (See USAID Women's Empowerment.pdf)
The objective of the grant is to increase the empowerment of women in the Feed the Future (FTF) zone of influence in the Barisal and Khulna divisions, and four southern districts of the Dhaka division in the central part of the country over the course of three years, according to USAID.
The grant highlights gender equality problems in Bangladesh’s agricultural sector, where 45 percent of the nation’s population is employed, citing researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative:
“The WEAI (Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index) baseline results for Bangladesh show that only 33 percent of women in the FTF zone are empowered, while more than half do not have gender parity with the primary male in their household.”
“Weak leadership, lack of control over income and lack of control over resources are the main areas of women’s disempowerment. Hence, achieving gender equality remains a challenge and a goal for Bangladesh,” they conclude.
The grant announcement suggests a variety of activities that would promote Bangladeshi women’s empowerment.
For example, it says applicants should “address how to improve the community’s understanding of women’s rights,” adding that, “this may include sensitization sessions where men and other community members discuss topics such as women’s role in decision-making in agricultural production in their household.
“WEA (Women’s Empowerment Activity) interventions should allow women, who are typically the key preparers of food in the household, more of a say in what food crops are grown” the grant notice says.
The grant applicant is also expected to aid women in time management by monitoring the free time of those participating. “The applicant should also discuss how to monitor, in weekly or monthly meetings, how the group members are implementing their respective household schedule and how the extra time is being used by group members such as in leisure, socializing, etc.,” the USAID grant application explains.
The objective of the grant is to increase the empowerment of women in the Feed the Future (FTF) zone of influence in the Barisal and Khulna divisions, and four southern districts of the Dhaka division in the central part of the country over the course of three years, according to USAID.
The grant highlights gender equality problems in Bangladesh’s agricultural sector, where 45 percent of the nation’s population is employed, citing researchers from the International Food Policy Research Institute and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative:
“The WEAI (Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index) baseline results for Bangladesh show that only 33 percent of women in the FTF zone are empowered, while more than half do not have gender parity with the primary male in their household.”
“Weak leadership, lack of control over income and lack of control over resources are the main areas of women’s disempowerment. Hence, achieving gender equality remains a challenge and a goal for Bangladesh,” they conclude.
The grant announcement suggests a variety of activities that would promote Bangladeshi women’s empowerment.
For example, it says applicants should “address how to improve the community’s understanding of women’s rights,” adding that, “this may include sensitization sessions where men and other community members discuss topics such as women’s role in decision-making in agricultural production in their household.
“WEA (Women’s Empowerment Activity) interventions should allow women, who are typically the key preparers of food in the household, more of a say in what food crops are grown” the grant notice says.
The grant applicant is also expected to aid women in time management by monitoring the free time of those participating. “The applicant should also discuss how to monitor, in weekly or monthly meetings, how the group members are implementing their respective household schedule and how the extra time is being used by group members such as in leisure, socializing, etc.,” the USAID grant application explains.
