Faraha Nawaz – författare

This book examines the effects of policies and practices of microfinance NGOs in empowering rural women in Bangladesh. Nawaz seeks to unpack the untold narratives of women's empowerment and to fill the current knowledge gap in this area. The book goes beyond the narrow minimalist evaluation of microfinance that only focuses on women’s economic empowerment through their ability to access financial resources.  Rather, it looks at whether and how microfinance empowers women in a holistic manner across the socio-cultural, psychological and political spheres of life. The author argues that microfinance reduces levels of poverty, which means that women are better able to meet their practical gender needs; however, they are not empowered unless they are also able to meet their strategic gender needs, including the transformation of gender power relations from the household to state arenas. Therefore, the book argues that in order to bring about higher levels of empowerment, microfinance programs must be combined with other services such as financial literacy, socioeconomic training, education, healthcare, social mobilization and legal support.Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment in Bangladesh will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines, including Gender Studies, Development Studies, and Politics.

This book explores the access to healthcare service during a global pandemic by rural ethnic women of Bangladesh. The authors consider different dimensions of accessibility such as- physical access, financial access, health behaviour and different socio-cultural factors of access, and attempts to explore the degree of access to healthcare of rural ethnic women from Santal tribe in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic. This exploration is likely to be helpful for healthcare providing organizations, international donor agencies, policy makers, and future researchers of gender studies, social policy, development studies among other fields.

The authors consider different dimensions of accessibility such as- physical access, financial access, health behaviour and different socio-cultural factors of access, and attempts to explore the degree of access to healthcare of rural ethnic women from Santal tribe in Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic.

South Asia is the most densely populated region in Asia, while Asia is the most populous region globally. These regions are at the forefront of the climate disaster. Rising sea levels, changing coastlines, increasing frequency of extreme weather events, and increased temperatures are among the most catastrophic events generated by climate change. All these factors threaten the regional and global community and present challenges to the policy framework. Specifically, vulnerable and marginalized populations are significantly impacted by these disasters. As these regions confront the complex effects of climate change, a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and sustainable approach is essential. This book offers an extensive examination of disasters, climate change, and sustainability issues with special reference to South Asia.This edited volume offers new insightful knowledge to support policymakers and researchers to create a resilient future in South Asia, in the face of disasters, climate change, and sustainable development challenges. The book begins by delineating theoretical approaches for reducing climate change-induced disasters from a South Asian perspective. The subsequent chapters analyze many phenomena, including heat waves, riverbank erosion, climate-induced migration, policy challenges related to climate change, and the relationship between them. Providing a survey of the contemporary challenges and strategies for disaster response and climate change mitigation in the South Asian context, this volume offers a comprehensive resource for a diverse audience of academics, development practitioners, legislators and policymakers interested in disaster management, climate change, and sustainability studies in South Asia and beyond.

This book presents an extensive study of women’s involvement in agricultural activities at the family level in rural Bangladesh, with a particular emphasis on their participation in decision-making. The authors examine the extent to which women are involved in decision-making regarding agricultural practices at family level. In addition to examining women’s contributions to various agricultural tasks, the research expands its scope to include discussions on gender inequality and empowerment, integrating these concepts into the decision-making framework. The authors argue that true participation should not only address the involvement of women in agriculture but also consider their influence on decision-making processes. They stress the importance of factors such as autonomy, control over resources, and self-confidence, which play a crucial role in shaping women’s decision-making ability within the family. Moreover, the research identifies several key barriers to participation, including entrenched patriarchal norms, societal cultural expectations, and institutional challenges, which hinder women’s active involvement in decision-making. The authors advocate for policy reforms and institutional changes to address these challenges, urging government bodies to align policies with their recommendations. The book provides valuable insights for policymakers, government officials, and NGOs working to promote gender-based approach and improve women’s empowerment in rural communities.