Work all day and then sleep in the evening. Wake up early the next morning. The new work will start in the morning. Rural women have to handle all the work including grazing the domestic animals in the field, feeding the poultry, boiling the rice, drying the rice in the sun, shaking the rice, and providing cooking for the family. Such a story is not a single woman's story; countless women in the village constantly keep the family in their arms. Not only domestic work, but also in all activities outside the home, rural women continue to enrich the society today. Now that the era has changed, the equal rights of men and women have come everywhere.
If you see the actions of rural women, it is easy to understand that the country has progressed. Not only in the urban society, but also in the village, now women's hands are the same as men's. Women are now participating in all activities along with men. Women are equal partners in all family activities starting from farming, cattle collection.
Women have always been by the side of men, sometimes as mothers, sometimes as sisters, and sometimes as housewives. But just two decades ago there were limitations in women's work. There were certain barriers for women even if they went outside the house. There were certain jobs that only men could do. Women were considered disabled there. One such job of men was to drive boats in the canals. Women had no right to hold a boat. But nowadays in the village women also take the helm of the boat like men. This is like a story of a picture or a picture of a story.
Boats are used daily for various purposes in many areas of the coast. Even in the last two decades, the responsibility of driving the boat was on the head of the family. But when the husband stayed away from home for business, agriculture or any other reason, the women and children of the family faced various problems. But today, instead of waiting for men, rural women are driving boats.
In the coastal villages on the surface, it was seen that it is normal for women to bring children to the school by boat, to collect fodder and bring it to the boat or to sell the market with the boat. They have proved that rural women also have the ability to become boatmen.
Women's steps are now clear to advance the rural economy hand in hand with men. The scope of women's work in villages has also increased. Even in marginal villages, there is no separate class division of work place for men and women.
Today, the wheel of rural economy also rotates in the hands of women. In any economic field including agriculture, cottage industry, self-employment, business, employment, women work equally alongside men. Participation of women in rural workplaces is equal to that of men.
Talking to different classes of people in marginal rural townships, it is said that religious fanaticism has decreased due to the touch of technology in the village and the development of the mentality of the entire township. The participation of women everywhere in the society is no longer hindered by religion. The fatwa against the wandering of women in the workplace has come down. On the other hand, caste differences have also decreased in Hindu families. The ancient tribal thinking is over. People of all tribes are participating in all areas for the need of work. As a result, freedom has come in the all-round movement of women. Besides, every family in the village has become interested in child education. As a result, the opportunity for female members of the family to participate in economic work has increased.
Despite this potential, the village-centric patriarchal mindset repeatedly hinders women's progress. Environment, infrastructural inadequacy, scarce availability of technology, disaster risk, dowry system and various social problems are hindering the development of women's quality of life.
Child marriage is another obstacle to the development of coastal women. When the girl is 14-15 years old, the marriage begins. Then mother and child at health risk. Besides, unemployment of men in agricultural rural society becomes a hindrance in the way of life of women. Due to the unemployment of men in the village, the dowry system has not yet been completely eradicated.
Reena Begum, a female resident of Barguna Suja's Kheyaghat shelter project, said, 'Like my husband, I do various jobs for the needs of the family. Many women in the neighborhood try to earn money. However, the value of women's work in the village is little. Yet women do not stop.'
Talking about the topic of 'improvement of women's living standards', Barisal Brajmohan College Sociology Department lecturer Nusrat Jahan said Bangladesh Post, 'This change in women's lifestyle gives hope in the path of a nation. On the other hand, rural women's entrepreneurship is also positive for the economy of the whole country.
If the education of women and children continues to increase and awareness is increased among all classes of people in the village, thousands of new skills will come in the life of women.'
