51

Rural Development and Co-operatives Division
1.0

Introduction

1.1

About 70% people of Bangladesh live in rural areas. Without the development of this segment of the population the overall development of the country is not possible. In a developing economy like Bangladesh, for formulating policies for eradication of poverty it is very important to ensure equality between man and woman. Rural Development and Co-operatives Division is working intensively to eliminate poverty and to foster inclusive growth. This Division is also working to empower women economically and socially through women’s education, increasing funds, providing micro-credits and providing employment to women in business. Thus, women’s participation in economic growth is increasing every year and this is a prerequisite for sustainable development

1.2

Co-operatives are worldwide popular tools for poverty alleviation. To improve the status of poor people living in the rural areas, the Government of Bangladesh had setup the Rural
Development and Cooperatives Division (RDCD) under the Ministry of Local Government,
Rural Development and Cooperatives. RDCD expands rural development through related applied research with multi-purpose actions with poverty alleviation at the core. RDCD also provides opportunities for self-employment of rural people and human resource development. Poverty alleviation is one of the top priorities for the government and women’s development is a n integral part of it. For this reason, RDCD has undertaken specific projects
/ programs that give priority to the development of rural women. About 65 percent of beneficiaries are women in the RDCD implemented projects/programs.

1.3

RDCD is providing support for the formulation of rural development policy, co-operative laws, rules and policies in many ways. Some of these ways are the formation of formal and informal groups, formulation

and

the

implementation

of

various

programs

and

projects.

Entrepreneurship is being developed through micro-credit, agricultural credit, cooperativebased small and cottage industries, cooperative banking, cooperative insurance, cooperativebased farming and marketing, as well as milk and other cooperative enterprises. Human resources are being developed through programs for members of the cooperatives, providing education, training and conducting research programs on rural development and cooperatives. In addition, the Division is supporting implementation of different activities relating to rural development and liaison with international agencies, innovation in models/strategies on rural development through action research and socio-economic development and empowerment of rural women through formation of different groups under cooperative programs.

2.0
2.1

Relevant Policies of RDCD
Rural Development and Cooperatives Division is a very vital stakeholder of women’s development in Bangladesh. Section 5.12 of the National Rural Development Policy, 2001 has given following social and institutional directives to empower rural women informing both men and women about their concerned laws and rights:


Making males aware of their duties and need for cooperation in women’s advancement in addition to building awareness for women;

52


Improving gender equality in social, cultural, economic and political arenas;



Ensuring extension of marketing to rural women entrepreneurs’ products;



Taking steps to unite women engaged in all government and non governments activities through an effective network;



Encouraging and providing support from local administrations to rural women to participate in income generating activities according to their ability;



Providing motivational training and other support to women to ensure their representation in every tier of local government;



Giving priority to implementing policies concerning equal rights of women, economic empowerment, poverty alleviation, and employment.

2.2

Support is provided for socio economic development empowerment of rural women through forming various Samities under Co-operative Act and Rules. Meanwhile the Co-operative
Rules, 2014 is being amended in the light of Co-operative Society (amendment) Act, 2013 to ensure transparency and accountability and to expedite the co-operative movement. The following directives are stated in article no.4.07, 7.13 and in 9.10 of the National Co-operative
Policy, 2014 to expedite co-operative movement, strengthen co-operative sector and to increase women’s participation in women’s advancement.


Taking necessary initiatives for women’s empowerment, employment and awareness through cooperatives;



Adopting co-operative development projects to improve socio-economic conditions of small ethnic and disadvantaged communities.

3.0

National Policy directives for RDCD in relation to Women’s Advancement
National Women Development Policy, 2011 has been formulated on the basis of the
Constitution of People’s Republic of Bangladesh and CEDAW documents. It has been prepared in the light of national and international policy directives mainly for women’s advancement. A national work plan has been formulated to implement this policy. According to the policy and work plan, some important activities of RDCD are as follows:


Bringing ultra poor women under the coverage of social safety nets;



Organizing poor women workforce to enhance their capacity and to create new and alternative economic and social opportunities for women by providing training to them;



Involving poor women in productive process and mainstream economic activities;



Giving special emphasis to the needs of women in safe drinking water and drainage systems; 

Appointing a significant number of women at high-level decision making process.

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4.0

Strategic objectives and activities of the Division in relation to Women’s
Advancement

Medium-Term Strategic Objectives

Activities

1

2

1. Socio-economic development of rural and disadvantaged people  Organize people through formation of formal and informal groups  Additional employment creation through investment of savings of the formal and informal group’ members in the productive sectors


Income generating programs for rural women

 Capital formation through shares and savings cooperative members as well as microcredit activities
2. Creation of skilled human resources of

 Impart motivational and income generating training to members of the cooperatives
 Impart training to officers, public representatives and
N.G.O. workers involved in rural development works

3. Strengthening policy framework for rural development 5.0

 Conduct research and action research as well as disseminate research results through seminars, workshops and publications

Identifying the Gender Gaps in the Activities of RDCD and Addressing the
Issues

5.1

Considering the activities of RDCD, it is evident that Rural Development Policy has been formulated to develop the livelihood of rural people and to ensure the overall welfare of the rural poor. To achieve this target RDCD and its subsidiary entities are involving women in different co-operatives, granting loans under different projects, and providing training to improve their skills and help them become involved in income generating activities. These activities ensure women’s participation in social development, making them economically selfreliant and out of poverty. Women entrepreneurs are getting loans and expanding their businesses through investing in income generating activities which is gradually empowering women to increase their participation in economic decision making processes. But this should be taken into consideration whether these activities are ensuring gender equity or not. In future, the Division will ensure equal participation of women in activities such as organizing people through the creation of formal and informal groups, creating additional employment opportunities through investing the savings of the cooperative members/informal groups in productive sectors, developing capital through share and savings and microcredit schemes, and motivating cooperative members and providing them with income generating training.

5.2

Another big challenge for this division is to make all the rural women conscious of their needs for development, for example, to develop entrepreneurship receiving training and loans, and to ensure their profitability by marketing their products. To address this, a work plan will be formulated. Under such a plan it may be useful to organize different motivational training,

54 seminar / workshops for males, as well as a wide range of training and loans for women. It is also equally important to take initiative for widening marketing facilities of the products of rural women entrepreneurs as well as to arrange soft loans for them from the co-operative bank. In addition, various projects and activities will be undertaken to improve the economic conditions of tribal women.
5.3.

In FY 2012-13, 16.05% women and 83.95% male officers were working in this Division.
Because of the low percentage, women’s participation in the policy making process in this division was limited. Despite the existence of specific women friendly policies, there are only a modest number of women participating in the Rural Development and Co-operative Division.
Male officials are getting 90% of training facilities in the case of organization. In this situation, the need for more women’s participation in policy making process of the Rural Development and Co-operative Division is obvious.

5.4

Activities of all ministries should be consistent with the National Women Development Policy,
2011 and the Action Plan, 2013 for its implementation. Therefore, all development projects and programmes of Ministries/Divisions should be taken in accordance with the National Women
Development Policy and ongoing projects/ programmes should be amended to make it consistent with the National Women Development Policy. Success of the Rural Development and Cooperative Division lies with the socio-economic development of all rural women through the activities of this Division in accordance with the National Women Development Policy and
National Work Plan.

6.0

Women’s Participation in Division’s Activities and their Share in Total
Expenditure

6.1

Women’s participation in decision making in RDCD
Officers
Function Description

2013-14

Staff
2012-13

2013-14

Male

Female

Male

Secretariat

87.8

12.2

73.53

26.47

79.17

20.83

79.07

20.93

Autonomous Bodies & Other Institutions

87.36

12.64

81.51

18.49

71.63

28.37

74.66

25.34

Department of Co-operatives

88.89

11.11

86.96

13.04

70.35

29.65

65.86

34.14

District Offices

84.04

15.96

84.4

15.6

87.42

12.58

78.14

21.86

Upazilla Offices

84.75

15.25

89.36

10.64

48.39

51.61

81.24

18.76

Training and Education Facilities

95.65

4.35

95.45

4.55

82.22

17.78

82.31

17.69

6.2

Female

Male Female

Male-female beneficiaries of the activities of RDCD
2011-12

Sl.

Female Male

2012-13

Program /Project

2012-13

2013-14

Unit
Female

1.

One house one farm

Person
(in lac)

2.

3.

Economic Empowerment of the
Poorest in Bangladesh (EEP)

Person

Char Livelihood Program-2nd phase Person

(in lac)

(in lac)

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

4.11

2.35

5.68

4.70

1.34

8.20

0.39

0.58

1.04

1.56

1.66

1.44

1.98

1.32

2.10

1.43

2.25

1.25

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2011-12
Sl.

Program /Project

4.

Comprehensive Village
Development Programme
(CVDP) -2nd Phase

2012-13

2013-14

Unit
Female

6.3

Male

Female

Male

Female

Male

1.66

2.39

1.99

2.86

2.16

3.23

Person
(in lac)

Women’s Share in Division’s Total Budget
(Taka in Crore)
Budget 2013-14
Description

Revised 2012-13

Women Share
Budget

Revised
Women

Total National Budget

Budget 2012-13

Women Share

%

Women Share
Budget

Women
59,756

Women

27.64 2,22,491

%

2,50,497

66,739

Ministry Budget

1,517

1,028

67.77

1,434

991

69.11

1,085

715

65.9

Development

1,187

970

81.72

1,118

932

83.36

822

664

80.78

330

58

17.58

317

59

18.61

263

51

19.39

Non- Development

26.64 2,16,220

%

61,567

27.67

Source: RCGP database

7.0

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of RDCD in relation to Women’s
Advancement
Actual
Indicator

Unit
2010-11

2011-12

2012-13

2

3

4

5

Participation of rural women in income generating activities Person (in thousands) 35

32

35

Motivating women members of the cooperatives and providing them trainings on income generating activities

Person (in thousands) 189

227

278

1

8.0

Success of RDCD in Promoting Women’s Advancement

8.1

Improvement of the standard of living of poor in rural and disadvantaged areas: About
60-70 percent beneficiaries are women in the RDCD implemented projects/programs. Living standard of about 6.8 lakh women through “One Home One Farm Project” and about 1.5 lakh women through Comprehensive Village Development Programme (Phase-2) Project is being improved. It is expected that through the Char Livelihoods Program (Char Jibikayon Prokolpa)
7 lakh women living in the Brahmaputra and the Jamuna River Basin will cross the poverty line, economic empowerment of 4 lakh women in chars, haors, water logged areas, cyclone prone coastal areas, monga-affected and poverty ridden hilly areas will be achieved through the project titled “Economic Empowerment of the Poorest in Bangladesh” which is expected to contribute significantly in women’s advancement. Under the “Integrated Rural Employment
Support Project for the Poor Women (IRESPPW)” credit facility will be provided to 76,750 women for income generating activities in order to give training on capacity and awareness building for self-employment of the poor women.

8.2

Creation of skilled human resources:

Training for rural women on different income

generating trades such as sewing, poultry rearing, pisciculture and organizing seminars and workshops on poverty reduction, agriculture and environmental development, local

56 government, social development, gender, rural education, health, nutrition, rural economy and management are assisting women’s advancement.
8.3

Strengthening the policy framework for rural development: Research and action research is facilitating increase in productivity level and develop human resources which in turn, is helping poverty reduction process amongst rural poor women.

8.4

A success story of a woman beneficiary of “Ensuring Employment for Ultra poor of the
Northern Areas Program”
Arjina Begum is a divorced distressed woman of Tarafbajit village of Sadullapur Upazila under
Gaibanda District. She engaged herself as a maid servant to buy food for her two children (one boy and one girl). Once she became unable to manage the cost of education and clothing of her children. At that time she participated in training in the sewing trade under “Ensuring
Employment of Ultra poor of Northern Areas.” She bought a sewing machine from the savings of her training allowances and started on a new journey. Soon, she had expanded her trade by appointing 5 workers. Now she is running a tailoring shop along with a beauty parlour in the local Bazar, her monthly net income now is about TK.12000 to 15000. Now she can easily afford education and food of her children and she is no more a burden for her poor father.

9.0

Obstacles to achieve targets related to Women’s Advancement and Rights
A holistic approach in formulation and implementation of wide-range work-plan is necessary for socio-economic and political empowerment of the women at all corners of the country. At the same time, sufficient allocation for gender responsive development works should be ensured and gender disaggregated data should be made available. Finally, it is hoped that enhancing efficiency and bringing professionalism in the personnel engaged in project implementation would contribute in achieving the development targets for women in the near future.

10.0
Sl.

Progress on Recommended Activities in the Previous Year
Recommended activities in 2013-14

Progress

1.

Provide more training to women on various types of income generating activities.

A higher number of training courses are being conducted than before.

2.

Ensure formation of more Cooperative societies and easy loan facilities for women.

Necesaary actions are being taken.

3.

Ensure recognition of women’s contribution to the field of rural development and cooperative activities. Women are being awarded for their contribution. 4.

Relinquish loans with interest for the women affected for environmental degradation and climate change.

The issue is under consideration.

5.

Introduce new profitable saving schemes through Cooperative Bank for ensuring women’s financial protection in future.

The Cooperative Bank is providing the sought benefits.

6

Introduce relocation and rehabilitation services for climate change women migrants.

The issue is under consideration.