Women as change agents
Women as Freedom Fighters: During Bangladesh's struggle for independence, women stood shoulder to shoulder with men. While the women of Bangladesh fought and died for freedom, few have been able to share the full fruits of that freedom. They remain marginalised and disenfranchised, as they had been throughout history.
Today, grassroots women are becoming a new generation of freedom fighter. Through participation with women's groups, self-help groups, local democratic bodies and the growing emphasis on education for girls, women are stepping outside their homes and becoming agents of change for a new future.
History books may not record their names, yet when historians look back on the 21st century, they will likely record that the health and prosperity of Bangladesh were transformed by the committed action of tens of thousands of individual women - who reached out to other women - to create a new future.
Grassroots women form women’s self-help groups, create their own enterprises and increase their incomes. They facilitate other women to step out of their household, become literate and learn their legal rights – in the home and in society.
Women face harsh opposition: The forces of patriarchy and fundamentalism continue to resist women's participation in their communities and strongly oppose women taking leadership roles. Women who take action as change agents are often victims of physical attack, violence and humiliation.
Women are making a difference. Against all odds, women are making headway in areas of immediate concern to their families and their villages. These issues, often ignored by men, range from health and sanitation to campaigns against dowry and domestic violence. At the dawn of this new millennium, many of the entrenched social evils that have persisted for thousands of years are beginning to change.
Women are transforming the development agenda to address issues critical to village life:
- Health : Women - who are most often affected by poor health throughout their lives - take a stand for better nutrition, sanitation facilities, safe drinking water, and access to reproductive health care essential for healthy families and communities.
- Education: Women organise literacy courses for other women in the community. They ensure that schools are built for children, that teachers are held accountable, and that both girls and boys attend.
- Income generation: Women form self-help groups and credit organisations among themselves to increase family income. Women leaders organise skills training for the women of the community.
- Addressing social evils: Women take action to address crucial social issues such as dowry, domestic violence, child marriage, and child labor. They ensure that women know their rights, and have access to information. They commit themselves to include traditionally excluded minorities.
- Redefining leadership: Women are changing the nature of leadership, incorporating values such as honesty, openness, patience, collective support, inclusion, and accountability.
- Changing village dynamics: In even the most conservative villages, women's leadership unleashes a process of change for the whole community. Women leaders facilitate other women to step out of the home, become literate, and contribute to the community. They create new partnerships with men in their families, helping to dissolve old patterns of discrimination and abuse.