title: Gender and Women Development Initiatives in Bangladesh: A Study of Rural Mother Center.
abstract: Women-focused development initiatives have become a controversial issue connected with women's health and welfare. Previous studies indicated that development initiatives might increase women's workload, family conflict, and marital violence. This study explored the gendered characteristics of a development initiative Rural Mother Center in Bangladesh. Data incorporated policy document and interviews of social workers working with the mother centers in two northwest subdistricts. The qualitative content analysis of data emerged a general theme of expanding women's responsibility while maintaining male privilege explaining gendered design and practice of the development initiative. The theme was supported by two gendered categories related to the design: (a) essentializing women's participation; (b) maintaining traditional gender, and four categories related to the practice; (c) inadequate gender knowledge and skills; (d) reinforcing traditional gender; (e) using women for improving office performance; and (f) upholding male privilege. The study suggests that though women-focused development initiatives need to be embraced with gender-redistributive policies, the social workers should be trained for attaining gender-transformative motivation and competencies.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health Sciences , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.|b Department of Social Work , University of Rajshahi , Bangladesh.
authors.forename: K M Rabiul
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Karim
authors.affiliation: c Division of Social Medicine and Global Health, Department of Clinical Sciences , Lund University , Lund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emmelin
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health Sciences , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.
authors.forename: Lene
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lindberg
authors.affiliation: a Department of Public Health Sciences , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden.|d Health Systems & Leadership Development, Center for Health Care Innovation , Stockholm , Sweden.|e Swedish National Institute of Public Health , Östersund , Sweden.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wamala
mesh_terms: D001459:Bangladesh; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D016387:Women's Health; D014933:Women's Rights
keywords: Bangladesh; Gender; development practice; women development