Bhaduri Rani, 65, a resident of Kaliganj upazila, Satkhira, has lived the same life as her mother and grandmother. Struggling with kitchen work, helping with her husband’s chores, and working on the land apart from single-handedly raising a family was natural for her.
Her daughter, Horadashi, 42, also lived a similar life, but over the years it changed for the better. Horadashi’s husband Robi Das, 50, no longer beats her up.
During a visit to Bazar village in the upazila, this correspondent found Robi, a low-income handcraft artisan, helping his wife cook in their kitchen.
Perhaps, from a now urban perspective, the scene might be normal to many, but rural culture is not as lenient towards men doing what the society describes as “woman’s work.”
In many villages, the situation has improved as men are engaging more in household work to help out the female members of the family.
In four unions under Kaliganj and Shyamnagar in Satkhira and Koyra and Dacope upazilas in Khulna, the positive changes have been brought about by World Vision Bangladesh’s (WVB) Nobo Jatra Project.
Dhaka TribuneUnder the project, ‘MenCare’ sessions are carried out to increase male engagement in household work to establish gender-equitable relationships and increase male engagement in household work.
The sessions are conducted with a focus on gender equality and social inclusion (GESI).
The project is being implemented by WVB, funded by the USAID in partnership with the Disaster Management and Relief Ministry and Winrock International.
“I never thought men would do women's work before. Now I think all the household activities are the same for men and women,” said Robi.
“These are equally important for the happiness of my family,” he added.
The change, however, did not come in a day. After 35 years of marriage, seeing his two sons help their wives with household chores has helped change his outlook as well.
“I help my husband to make bamboo baskets after finishing all the household work,” said Horidashi.
“I also had the responsibility to take care of everyone in the family. Now when I see my husband helping me serve lunch, my fatigue goes away,” she added.
Dhaka TribuneDecreasing violence
The project has played a key role in decreasing gender-based violence in the upazilas where the projects are implemented.
During her visit, this correspondent found a group of men and women in Bazar village gathered in a yard having a discussion.
They said these meetings, moderated by WVB workers, are held every 15 days to discuss gender relations in the family and joint decision-making to make women's lives easier.
Over 12 sessions named “Uthan Boithok” in six months, male family members were taught the importance of gender equality using constructive male engagement.
Most participants, after attending the session agreed that domestic violence is a crime, child marriage is harmful and nutrition is important.
A 2016-17 study, found that since the project was launched in 2015, husbands and wives took 77% of the decisions jointly, including those regarding food, clothing, and healthcare.
Dhaka TribuneWhat's more remarkable is that from a baseline of 8.3% in 2015, 92.65% of men within the Nobo Jatra Project's operating areas in 2020 said couples should share in housework and childcare. The change is a direct result of the MenCare sessions.
It was once impossible to find males engaging in household work in the remote areas of Bangladesh.
However, the project data shows that 52.8% of men were feeding their children, 84.9% of men were taking care of their children during sickness, and 52.8% of men were bathing their children after the MenCare sessions.
“The approach paves the way for women to participate in decision-making and economic activities,” says Nirmal Sarker, good governance and social accountability adviser at Nobo Jatra Project, told Dhaka Tribune.
“The MenCare approach has resulted in positive outcomes for gender equality. Husbands and wives make joint decisions on incomes, expenditure and assets,” he added.
He said that the sessions have also been helpful in bringing down domestic violence in those areas.