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Previous studies exploring the influential factors associated with attitudinal acceptance of wife abuse (AAWA) did not widely focus on the relation between women's social mobility (WSM) and different dimensions of AAWA in rural Bangladesh. This current study examined the association between WSM and different dimensions of AAWA in the context of socio-cultural differences among the Bengali, the Santal, and the Garo ethnic communities in rural Bangladesh. Adopting a cross-sectional design, 1,929 married men and women were randomly included in the study from 8 Bengali, 8 Santal, and 8 Garo villages where 50.2% were women and 49.8% were men. Of the sample, 33.2% Garo, 33.2% Santal, and 33.6% Bengali participants were included in this study. Data revealed that 45.5% of women had low social mobility and the prevalence of different dimensions of AAWA was high and varied among the study communities. We used descriptive statistics, chi-square, and binary logistic regression analysis to estimate the association. The multivariate binary logistic regression analysis results revealed that the likelihood of attitudinal acceptance of overall abuse, psychological abuse, physical abuse, abuse on disobeying family obligation, and abuse on challenging male authority were significantly lower for the respondents who belonged to families where women enjoyed high mobility compared to those who belonged to families where WSM was low. This study also showed that the Bengali and the Santal participants were more likely to accept different dimensions of AAWA compared to the Garos. This study suggests that WSM should be considered in policy-making and implementing interventions to reduce the different dimensions of AAWA in rural Bangladesh.

Background: Socioeconomic development initiatives (SDIs) are not only regarded as vehicles for poverty eradication but as promotion of women‟s welfare in terms of their economic independence, empowerment, and safety from domestic violence (DV), particularly in male-dominated low-income countries. It is often assumed that women‟s participation in SDIs will increase their income and independence. However, previous studies have provided inconsistent findings. A few studies have indicated that SDIs may enhance women‟s income, autonomy, health, and safety from DV, while other studies have revealed that women‟s participation in SDIs may increase their workloads, conflict with husbands, and risk of being exposed to DV. Aims: This thesis seeks to answer how SDIs may influence women‟s welfare in terms of their economic independence, workloads, and exposure to DV in rural Bangladesh. It focuses on how gender is reflected in the design and practice of SDIs; women‟s experiences with SDIs; and barriers to and possibilities for women‟s welfare regarding their partaking in SDIs. Data and methods: The thesis is based on four papers incorporating a gender analysis of the contents and practices of two SDIs – a Deep Tube Well (DTW)-based water project (I) and a female-focused project called Rural Mother Center (RMC) (II); women‟s experiences with economic independence, workload and exposure to DV with DTW (I) and RMC (IV); and the barriers to and possibilities for women‟s welfare through RMC (III-IV). Data included RMC documents and interviews with 12 social workers for their professional services (II); 5 key informant interviews, household surveys (n=196), and interviews with 16 married water-stressed women for their experiences with water crises (I); and FGDs and interviews with 48 men for their views on women in SDIs (III), as well as interviews with 17 married women partaking in RMC (IV). Data analysis incorporated descriptive statistics (I), qualitative content analysis (I-III)

Without taking masculine issues into account, women's participation in development initiatives does not always guarantee their empowerment, health, and welfare in a male-dominated society. This study aimed to explore men's perceptions of women's participation in development (WPD) in rural Bangladesh. In adopting a qualitative approach, the study examined 48 purposively selected married and unmarried men aged 20-76 years in three northwest villages. Data collection was accomplished through four focus group discussions (FGDs) with 43 men clustered into four groups and through individual interviews with five other men. A qualitative content analysis of the data revealed an overall theme of feeling challenged by fears and hopes, indicating variations in men's views on women's participation in development initiatives as represented by three main categories: (a) fearing the loss of male authority, (b) recognizing women's roles in enhancing family welfare, and (c) valuing women's independence. In the context of dominant patriarchal traditions in Bangladesh, these findings provide new insight into dynamics and variations of men's views, suggesting a need to better engage men during different stages of women-focused development initiatives.