Middle-income women in Dhaka city: gender and activity space

Abstract

This study aims to understand the activity patterns and gender relations of middle- income working women in Dhaka City in private and public space. A total of seventy- five middle-income working women from three age groups; under 30 (unmarried), 30-50 (married), and over 50 (married) were interviewed in three different areas of the city, Azimpur, Mohammadpur, and Maghbazar. Case histories of six women, two from each age group, were recorded. The study shows that the involvement of middle-income women in activities which take them, into public spaces has increased considerably during recent years and women are now more visible in public places than in the near past. For economic reasons and also due to changing attitudes, such women are now substantially involved in the job market and. many of them., particularly the young and educated, carry executive responsibilities on an equal footing with men. Working women, like men, contribute a significant portion of their income to the family budget. Women's higher level of education and their involvement in employment have given them, more power and autonomy in family decisions. The household workload of the working women has not changed in the course of time. Irrespective of their level of education or grade of employment, middle-income working women are overloaded by their household activities, particularly cooking, within their private space. The rapid changes from, extended families to nuclear families have created new constraints for these women, particularly with regard to childcare. The everyday and lifetime activity space of middle-income working women in the city of Dhaka have expanded considerably in recent years. Their mobility depends not only upon their level of education but also upon their occupational type and employment status. Young women's daily movement pattern is more frequent and extensive than that of older women.