So what do we understand by ‘women’s empowerment’?

Empowerment as a concept has the implication of something given by someone who is stronger, more powerful or has an upper hand in that particular space. We have drawn a picture of empowerment in our heads and any image that doesn't match it, is not considered to be 'empowerment.' This picture changes from time to time in tune with changing social norms. 

A few years ago, I read an article titled 'Analysing Women's Empowerment: Microfinance and Garment Labor in Bangladesh' by Lamia Karim, which asserted that women working in ready-made garments factories were more empowered than female entrepreneurs doing business through microfinance loans. 

She stated that these RMG workers have come out of their homes, and crossed societal boundaries to become the decision-makers of their lives. They have the choice to marry whomever they want, make small purchases with their own money, and live independently. They are stronger and have better awareness regarding their job benefits. 

Another argument that the article brought up is that the women who get into entrepreneurship through microfinance are stuck doing the traditional 'female jobs' such as sewing, farming or cooking, inside their own homes and community. A lot of research has shown that the loans taken by women are utilised by the men in their families, which does not contribute to women's empowerment at all. 

All of these arguments are actually true through a certain lens. And I had agreed with all these points until very recently. In truth, this phenomenon is not quite as black-and-white rather there are nuances and grey areas. 

For the last two years, I have been working extensively with the RMG factories of Bangladesh, their management as well as the workers. It is indeed one of the biggest sectors which recruits a vast number of women. This sector was built on women's blood and sweat. But if you take a look at the current statistics, only 5% of women are in management or in top posts, and the rest are men. Women mostly remain operators and very few are made supervisors, though the number is increasing every day. 

Most female workers are financially independent which theoretically is a very big aspect of empowerment, but despite this, a lot of these women are not empowered. 

Salary day is nothing less than a festival day in the RMG factories. More often than not, we see  female RMG workers giving away their money to their husbands on salary day. While discussing this matter with a few of my peers, all of whom have extensive experience in this industry, I heard a lot of stories which made me question the difference between earning money, being financially independent and being empowered. Clearly, these are three separate concepts which are not necessarily mutually exclusive.

During one of these salary days, a female worker was seen crying by the gate of her factory. When she was asked why she was crying, she said, 'The moment I cross the gate, my husband will snatch the money from me.' 
After the Covid-19 pandemic, the factories began using mobile banking platforms such as Rocket and Bkash to provide salaries. Interestingly, the female workers provide the mobile banking details of their husbands and then the husbands utilise this money. This is the case for most female workers. Some of their husbands are doing small businesses while some have jobs with less pay and some don't have jobs at all.

Based on this, Lamia Karim's argument regarding microfinance and women's empowerment is not entirely accurate. 

I recently visited Char Kukrimukri, an island in southern Bangladesh. The place I stayed at was Jamila Home Stay Service owned by a woman named Jamila who started the tourist-friendly homestay service by getting a microfinance loan from an NGO. Although the establishment is named after her, it is more of a family business. 

Her husband is consulted before giving a room to any guest. He goes to the bazaar - to buy vegetables, fish and meat for the wife to cook for the guests. While she hurriedly prepared lunch for everyone with the help of her daughters, her husband chatted with us in the dining space.

It's been quite some time since we have revisited the ways to achieve women's empowerment. A very popular narrative is that a woman needs to be financially independent to be empowered. Another popular narrative is that women who are working outside their houses, doing unconventional or urban jobs such as working in the RMG factory or have broken one or two gender norms are strong, empowered women. But realistically that cannot be the definition of an empowered woman. 

For a while now, I have noticed a social behaviour of men marrying women for capital. Although this has always existed in society through the utilisation of the dowry system, now, a lot of men marry women with jobs or with the skills to have a consistent job. This is the case with most of the RMG workers. 

The women don't work to be empowered or to have a career or to break gender roles but to earn money. This money is mostly handled by their husbands. This is a common scenario among people from all socio-economic backgrounds. So, the question remains, is earning or being financially independent the same as being empowered? No. 

Empowerment is by default self-empowerment. It is a belief and a mental state. No one can empower anyone unless that person empowers themselves. There can be outside sources, people or organisations who might make the playing ground equal or make the road to empowerment smoother but the definition of an 'empowered woman' cannot be decided by another being. 

A person cannot feel empowered unless they can make their own choices and have the authority of making decisions. Of course, having a source of income gives a push to have opinions and open their eyes but it doesn't give enough of a push to be the decision-maker. 

So, it is not the nature of the job or their profession that makes a woman empowered. Society and its social structure have to make space for women to be their own persons and create their own definition of empowerment. Otherwise, the patriarchal system will continue to define 'women's empowerment' to suit their needs.    

Illustration: TBS

Simin Ibnat Dharitree is an anthropologist, a development professional and a gender rights activist. 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.