The Influence of Women’s Empowerment on Poverty Reduction in the Rural Areas of Bangladesh: Focus on Health, Education and Living Standard

Wei Wei, Tanwne Sarker, Wioletta Żukiewicz-Sobczak, Rana Roy, G. M. Monirul Alam, Md. Ghulam Rabbany, Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain and Noshaba Aziz
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Wei Wei: School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Tanwne Sarker: School of Economics and Finance, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
Wioletta Żukiewicz-Sobczak: Department of Food and Nutrition, Calisia University, 62-800 Kalisz, Poland
Rana Roy: Department of Agroforestry & Environmental Science, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet 3100, Bangladesh
G. M. Monirul Alam: Department of Agribusiness, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University, Gazipur 1706, Bangladesh
Md. Ghulam Rabbany: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Mohammad Shakhawat Hossain: College of Economics and Management, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Noshaba Aziz: College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 13, 1-18

Abstract: Women’s empowerment has a great influence on health, nutrition, education, and the overall well-being of societies as well as of the children and households. This study investigates the effect of women’s empowerment on poverty reduction and focuses on household deprivation, in terms of education, health, and standard of living. Primary data was collected from 914 married women from rural areas of Bangladesh using a well-structured questionnaire and a random sampling technique. Descriptive statistics, logistic regression, and ordinary least squares models were used in this study. The results indicate that increased women’s access to education, asset ownership, decision-making power on children’s health and education, and access to medical facilities, have caused a significant decline in income poverty and multidimensional poverty. However, gender violence, taking resources against women’s will, and preventing women from working outside, have caused a considerable decline in per capita income and an increase in income poverty and multidimensional poverty. Overall, it is found that women’s empowerment has a great impact on the reduction of income poverty and multidimensional poverty in society. The findings of the study can assist and guide policymakers to initiate appropriate strategies for women’s empowerment to reducing poverty in Bangladesh while making progress towards other social and developmental goals.

Keywords: Bangladesh; gender violence; multidimensional poverty; poverty reduction; women’s empowerment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:13:p:6909-:d:583423

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