Changing expectations of gender roles in Bangladesh: The case of female field staff of BRAC

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze the situation of female staff of BRAC working at field level. Here, the study tried to find out how women were negotiating between their traditional gender roles and the new roles offered by that organization, as well as the gap between gender policy of the organization and the reality women were experiencing. The study took theoretical reference of different forms of patriarchy, gender division of labour, the public-private dichotomy, national imaginary of ideal woman of Bangladesh, as well as the literature about the endeavor of BRAC to bring out women from their traditional image. Qualitative techniques (In-depth interview and informal discussion) had been used for data collection. To interpret and analyze the content of both interviews and discussions, the technique of content analysis was used. The findings reveal women’s experience in workplace which was dominated by the patriarchal ideology in spite of the organization’s effort to make the workplace women-friendly through its policies. The findings suggest that any organization that aims to bring social change and gender relations needs to work both at ideological and policy levels to make the policy more effective and to ensure a women-friendly workplace.