Economics

Bangladesh

Status of women

• Relatively high, especially compared to India, other S. Asia

• Female LFPR – 58% (double India)

• Fertility rate = 2.3, fallen from 4.5 in 1990

• Female Prime Minister and 20% Parliament members

• Low maternal mortality and few underweight children

NGOs

• Much of relatively high status of women and social indicators compared to other S. Asian countries due to role of NGOs

• Both Grameen Bank and BRAC originated in Bangladesh

BRAC

• Originally Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee formed in 1970s to rebuild after war/famine

• Employs 100,000 – 70% women – in handicraft, dairy and food production, fisheries

• Funds used to invest in literacy, community centers, community health clinics

• Funds village organizations to assist women, small farmers and landless rural residents

• Funds vocational training for women • Operates primary schools – 60% female students

• 1000s of clinics provide immunizations, contraception and family planning, help with breast-feeding

Grameen

• Formed in 1974

• To end predatory lending to poor

• Provides micro-credit to form small businesses

• Claims 99% repayment rate and is funded largely through repayments

• 94% ownership by borrowers

• 90% loans to women

• Often requires that borrowers children be enrolled in school

• Encourages savings

Government

• Corrupt – works closely with garment firms

• Most businesses report paying bribes

• Estimated that capital flight = 3x all foreign aid

• Taxes/GDP – 10%, partly due to tax evasion

• Consequently, inadequate revenues >>> fall in health, education funding as %GDP. Health insurance limited, but has invested, with NGOs, in clinics and in sanitation

• Also low infrastructure funding contributes to low FDI