Dr. Matiur Rahman :
James Reason, in his book title ‘Human Error’ published in 1990 mentioned that decision making can be regarded as the mental processes resulting in the selection of a course of action among several alternatives. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an action or an opinion of choice. He also mentioned that power is a measure of a person’s ability to control the environment around him/her, including the behavior of another person. Here, decision making power refers to someone’s authority to become something according to his/her choice in general.
Keeping in mind the above definition and explanation a study revealed the decision making power of rural women at household issues in Bangladesh. Setting some indicators, the study explored that in rural areas, male is the supreme authority to take decisions on any household level issue. The study shows that about three-fourth (74.1%) women respondents mentioned that only husband took decisions regarding sending their children to schools. Around 20 percent of respondents mentioned husband and wife jointly took the decision to send their children to schools. On the other hand, only 5.9 percent of wives can take decision about sending their children to schools.
Rural women in our society cannot visit relatives and friends whenever they wish. They have to seek permission from their male counterparts to visit relatives. In the present research it has found that around 70.6 percent of the respondents admitted that only male of the household made the decision to visit women to relatives and friends. Around 21.2 percent of respondents mentioned that male and female jointly took the decision. Only 8.2 percent of them have said that women can independently make decisions to visit relatives and friends.
More than half (57.6%) of the respondents reported that only the husband take the decision to purchase any household essentials while more than one-fourth (27.1%) of them reported that husband and wife jointly take decision regarding purchasing the household essentials. Only 15.3 percent of them have said that women can independently make decisions for purchasing household essentials.
A large majority of the respondents (82.4%) mentioned that only male take decisions regarding enhancement of the household income. Only 8.2 percent of them mentioned that female can take decision to increase the household income. Similarly, a very large portion of respondents (83.5%) mentioned that only husband take decisions on purchasing household movable assets.
A very good portion of the respondents (66.3%) reported that only husbands take decision regarding the sale of household moveable and non-movable assets. On the contrary only 25.3 percent of them mentioned that husband and wife jointly take decision on this issue.
Around 68.2 percent of the respondents stated that husbands alone take decisions for adaptation of the family planning methods. More than one-fifth (22.8%) of them have said that husband and wife jointly take decision on this issue. Only 9 percent of them mentioned that wife alone can take decision in this issue.
Regarding treatment of illness of any members of the family, more than half (55.3%) of the respondents stated that the husband alone takes decision. On the other hand (35.5%) of them mentioned that husband and wife jointly take decision for treatment of ill members of the family. Only 9.2 percent women in the household take decision alone about it.
A good portion of the respondents (72.9%) said that only husband takes decision regarding the marriage of their son and daughter. On the other hand, 22.6 percent of the respondents mentioned that husband and wife jointly take decision in this issue. Only 4.2 percent of them mentioned that wife alone can take decision about this issue.
So, it has proved that in rural areas male are always dominant over females in taking decisions on various issues at the household level. In some cases husband and wife jointly take decisions and a very low portion of women can take decision alone on household issues. The fact is that in patriarchy male is the supreme authority to take decisions on any issue. Women only give consent to the decision that men have already taken. Moreover, traditionally women in our society do not oppose any decision that has been taken by male. So, male always enjoy the power of taking decisions on different issues at the household level.
On the basis of the above findings the study suggested that appropriate measures should to be taken to change social attitudes and beliefs that legitimize male dominance over women. Educational institutes, mass media campaigns, street drama, etc. can play an important role in this regard. NGOs and government organizations also can take different programs to change male attitude and to make them aware about women decision making power. There is a need to involve civil society, religious leaders in this regard.
Though Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in women advancement but women in rural areas are still in backward in some cases like decision making power. It is suggested that women and girls will have to be given the necessary skill, training, education and employment opportunities so that they are capable of supporting themselves and make their own decisions beside their male counterpart.
(Dr. Matiur is Research Consultant, Human Development Research
Centre, Dhaka).
