Women's Empowerment and health decision-making dynamics in Bangladesh

• In Event: 40820 - Section on Sociology of Sex and Gender Roundtables
  In Refereed Roundtable (60 minute): Table 11: Gender & Health

Abstract

This paper explores the connection between women’s empowerment and health-seeking behavior, focusing on women’s decision-making dynamics in Bangladeshi households. I conducted in-depth qualitative interviews to study the impacts of education and employment on how women in Bangladesh negotiate their autonomy in health-seeking behavior. The sample consists of 60 middle-class women between the ages of 15 and 49 in rural and urban Bangladesh. I interviewed women with different levels of education who participate in the labor force and who do not participate. My findings show that general and health-related decisions are primarily dominated by the household's husbands or other family members. Women’s ability to challenge these decisions is often limited by social norms, ignorance (lack of knowledge), and financial dependency. It also reveals that many women rely on self-medication and informal consultations before finally going to professional healthcare facilities or doctors. Economic constraints and accessibility play a critical role in this, too. While some women exhibit autonomy in maternal and child healthcare decisions, significant variations exist based on employment status, education and family structure. For example, women from urban, educated, and economically stable backgrounds tend to have greater decision-making power and mobility in seeking healthcare than their less educated and rural counterparts. These findings are critical in the context of patriarchal and conservative households in Bangladesh with higher gender inequality in healthcare. I hope this study will contribute to better policy initiatives that will move beyond only ensuring access to education or work and address structural inequality that shapes their agency and access to resources.

Author

• Kazi Md Mukitul Islam, Boston University