Modern Dairy Farming and Rural Women in Bangladesh

This book is the first to rigorously explore the specific impact of modern dairy farming on the empowerment of rural women in Bangladesh, highlighting a novel approach to addressing gender inequality. It explores the women empowerment index, which includes five key dimensions: decision-making autonomy, economic, social, legal and psychological empowerment. Through detailed analysis, this book demonstrates that women engaged in modern dairy farming experience significantly higher levels of empowerment compared to those involved in traditional dairy farming. This book presents the relationships between various indicators of women’s empowerment and highlights that income earning potential is the most significant indicator and is strongly correlated with other empowerment measures. Women’s involvement in income-generating activities through modern dairy farming enhances their access to and control over economic resources, enabling them to establish and realize their rights. The book reveals that modern dairy farming not only enhances women's confidence, decision-making power, and self-esteem but also positively influences their financial independence and socio-economic status. Women's increased involvement in dairy activities and their ability to earn higher incomes are strongly correlated with greater empowerment. By presenting new insights into the relationship between dairy farming practices and women's empowerment, this book offers valuable insights for policymakers and development practitioners aiming to promote women’s empowerment and socio-economic development in similar contexts.