Comprehensive Village Development Program (Cvdp): a Mechanism for Enhancing Women Empowerment
COMPREHENSIVE VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (CVDP):
A MECHANISM FOR ENHANCING WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
--- Md. Al-Amin
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The development of rural Bangladesh has figured prominent in the development plans and programmes of the 1970s. It is well known that majority of the people of Bangladesh live mainly in rural area under mass poverty. Poverty reduction has therefore become an important aspect of rural development (Islam.1992). As women in Bangladesh compose half of the total population, it certainly demands a remarkable involvement of women in the process of development process to alleviate poverty. There have been many institutional involvements taken so far in this context. Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) is a pioneering organization in bringing the issue of involving women in the development process since the 1960s. Since the late 1970s, BARD has been experimenting with a new idea on rural development under the name of a project, initially known as Total Village Development Programme (TVDP), later renamed as Comprehensive Village Development Programme (CVDP) (Chowdhury, 1990). This is the programme under which women are encouraged to participate and reap benefit for their socio-economic development. Where as a board term participation means influence on development decision, not simply involvement in the activities (Bhathnagar, 1992).
It is important to involve women in the development activities for greater interest of the society. It is observed that women always remain as object rather than the subject of development project. However, the CVDP does not isolate men from women and children from their parents. It tries to bring each and every family of the village under the umbrella of a single organization. Within the framework of that organization participation is planned for men, women and children as different age and sex group, and landless, marginal, medium, small and large
A MECHANISM FOR ENHANCING WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
--- Md. Al-Amin
Chapter 1
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study
The development of rural Bangladesh has figured prominent in the development plans and programmes of the 1970s. It is well known that majority of the people of Bangladesh live mainly in rural area under mass poverty. Poverty reduction has therefore become an important aspect of rural development (Islam.1992). As women in Bangladesh compose half of the total population, it certainly demands a remarkable involvement of women in the process of development process to alleviate poverty. There have been many institutional involvements taken so far in this context. Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD) is a pioneering organization in bringing the issue of involving women in the development process since the 1960s. Since the late 1970s, BARD has been experimenting with a new idea on rural development under the name of a project, initially known as Total Village Development Programme (TVDP), later renamed as Comprehensive Village Development Programme (CVDP) (Chowdhury, 1990). This is the programme under which women are encouraged to participate and reap benefit for their socio-economic development. Where as a board term participation means influence on development decision, not simply involvement in the activities (Bhathnagar, 1992).
It is important to involve women in the development activities for greater interest of the society. It is observed that women always remain as object rather than the subject of development project. However, the CVDP does not isolate men from women and children from their parents. It tries to bring each and every family of the village under the umbrella of a single organization. Within the framework of that organization participation is planned for men, women and children as different age and sex group, and landless, marginal, medium, small and large
References: Islam, M. (1994). “Women in Rural Development” in Rural Development in Bangladesh: Strategies and Experiences, Camilla: Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD). Ahmed, T. (1993). Comprehensive Village Development Programme: An Experimental of Rural Development through Cooperatives, Cooperation, Dhaka. Bhatnagar, B. (1992). Participatory Development and the World Bank: Potentials, Directions for Changes, Washington DC: The World Bank. Chowdhury, M. A. (1990). “Gender and Development: An Alternative Theoretical Perspective”, The Journal of Rural Development, Vol.20, No.2. www. bard.gov.org.bd, Retrieved, Dated: 10 March 2010.