IMPROVING LIVELIHOOD PATTERN OF HAND WEAVERS PARTICULARL Y WOMEN IN KISHOREGANJ DISTRICT OF BANGLADESH

Abstract

Bangladesh is a small South Asian country and has the highest population density in the world. It has an agro-based economy, where about half of the total population is female and a majority of them, about 80%, live in rural areas. Most of the rural women have little opportunity to participate in intra-household, socio-economic and political decision-making processes as well as very limited interaction with people outside of the home. The works of women in Bangladesh are mostly confined to the homestead due to cultural, religious and social restrictions. Most of the rural people are poor and family depends on income of male person; but ensuring the income of women is an essential precondition for the elimination of poverty. At present women are involved in some income generating activities, Hand Weaving is one of them, not only women are taking benefit from this new sector but also men are getting more advantages from this. Socio-economic analysis, cost & return was estimated to show their income level as well as livelihood. The main objectives of the study are to improve livelihood of rural people, to analyze the proportion of income from various sources, to compare the income of weaver between present and past and to identify the determinants of income of weaver at household level through Multiple Classification Analysis (MCA).