Shekh Sadia Akter

University of Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Title: Women’s limited agency as market actors in a patriarchal marketplace in the context of Rajshahi city

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Biography

Abstract

The social structure of Bangladesh is patriarchal and establishes male authority over women, encompassing both private and public domains. However, the degree of female participation in the public workplace in Bangladesh has been gradually increasing. The objective of this study is to present the link between agency and social structure in relation to women’s empowerment through the increased, yet limited, participation of women in the market place. First, this study investigates the factors that drive women’s participation in the marketplace. Then it examines the power of social and cultural capital to grant women access to the market economy. Finally, it reveals the limited choices available for women while participating in a patriarchal marketplace. This study aims to provide a framework for under standing the scope of women’s empowerment through the interplay of women’s a and culturally established gender roles in a patriarchal social structure.