‘Kaaj’: Understanding women’s work, development and local knowledge in rural Bangladesh
Abstract
In many parts of Latin America, Asia and Africa women spend considerable time doing agricultural work, and for domestic chores, such as cooking, childcare and animal care (Quisumbing, 1998). Participation of women in household as well as farm labour is a common feature of peasant communities across the world. In rural Bangladesh, women’s work is a significant part of the village economy (Abdullah & Zeidenstein, 1982). Particularly in the char lands, where livelihood conditions are vulnerable, women work for longer hours than men to support their households. Considering such a situation, rural development projects mostly target poor women as beneficiaries by involving them in income-based welfare schemes. It is important to understand how women interpret work (kaaj), in order to identify how development projects affect their own way of doing work. In this article, firstly I intend to focus on patterns of women’s work on the char, in Char Khankhanapur and Decree Charchandpur, two villages located in Rajbari region of Bangladesh and secondly, investigate how women perceive kaaj. In my attempt to understand whether development is improving or depreciating women’s lives, I, also delve into understanding local women’s knowledge.References
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