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The Role of NGOs in Socio-Economic Development

NGOs have an important role in developing countries’ socioeconomic development. These organizations not only help people with a variety of issues but also help to create and maintain good public relations. In addition, NGOs often operate as consortia and can help to build trust amongst donors and governments, which can be vital in the fight against poverty.

Impact of NGOs on poverty and unemployment in rural Bangladesh

NGOs are essential partners for the Bangladesh government in the fight against poverty. They have organized several public campaigns to raise awareness about poverty. They also serve as a point of contact for citizens and work to enhance the general public’s knowledge about poverty.

Poverty has been a significant issue for Bangladesh since the 1971 war of liberation. At least 22 million Bangladeshis are estimated to live below the poverty line. However, it is hard to escape the cycle of poverty. In fact, most poor people still live in rural areas. The country’s top development priority is job creation.

The country’s economy has been increasing. But it has not been well served by its infrastructure. Moreover, a fast-growing population has imposed massive pressure on the environment. This has resulted in flooding. The poor are often forced to live on flood plains. In some cases, this has caused landlessness.

The presence of one million Rohingya refugees has aggravated pollution and has caused deforestation. However, it has also contributed to increasing anti-refugee sentiment among Bangladeshis.

Several NGOs in Bangladesh are promoting awareness and legal rights and improving access to education and healthcare. They have also contributed to the reduction of maternal mortality.

Some NGOs have also been essential in promoting the Council of Europe’s (CoE) objectives. They have regularly recalled the COE’s declaration. The most important thing is that NGOs must be able to influence society and public authorities. The government and NGOs must also avoid confrontations.

NGOs should also be able to contribute to improving the quality of life of poor people. This is best achieved by ensuring the political independence of NGOs.

BRAC’s economic development program includes microcredit

Founded by Fazle Hasan Abed in 1972, BRAC is an indigenous Bangladeshi non-profit organization that works with the poor and empowers them through various programs. Today, BRAC operates programs in 70,000 villages in all 64 districts of Bangladesh. Its programs serve over 9 million people, including 1.5 million children. The organization’s programs help reach over 75 percent of the country’s population.

The BRAC Economic Development Program is the organization’s cornerstone. It provides microcredit, microfinance, and income-generating activities to the poor.

In addition to microcredit, BRAC also supports microentrepreneurs. Its programs are designed to help women and men in rural communities, particularly women, gain employment and economic independence. The organization focuses on gender equality and wage fairness, a significant challenge in Bangladesh. The organization also offers training in nutrition, healthcare, and legal awareness.

The organization’s training division was launched in 1978, and all BRAC staff received professional development. The organization also developed a middle-manager training program. The training emphasized the importance of accurate teaching. In addition to improving education, authentic teaching would ensure children don’t get sicker.

The organization’s programs include health and nutritional planning, legal help, and asset transfer. BRAC also works to increase access to sanitation facilities. The organization’s community health volunteers work to create demand for safe water and sanitation facilities in communities. They also work to educate parents about oral rehydration, which is an effective way to treat diarrhea. The program also taught parents how to make electrolyte-rich fluid to prevent dehydration.

The organization’s programs also focus on youth employment. It has provided stipends for the first two years of microfinance borrowers. In addition, it has launched a social venture plan competition.

Women receive an inequitable share of household decision-making.

Historically, women have received an inequitable share of household decision-making in socioeconomic development. However, the recent release of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Human Development Report has challenged the idea that gender is a neutral factor in development. Women’s contributions to action can be a significant driver of economic prosperity.

Women in developing countries are often constrained by their economic status. They are often relegated to inferior education, nutrition, inadequate healthcare, and subpar job opportunities. Moreover, women are subjected to discrimination and violence in their daily lives. 

In addition, the family’s social structure dictates women’s access to key decision-making roles. In some countries, the presiding male can exert disproportionate power over the female members.

Women are arguably the most critical players in child-bearing and child-rearing decisions. In addition, they have an essential role in agriculture, particularly in rural areas. Women also have a role in the food chain and are more likely to be economically dependent than men. In contrast, men are responsible for providing financial support for their families. Women are also more likely to be exposed to daily harmful hazards, such as smoking.

While women’s economic security is a topic of great debate in the US, a recent study examining women’s empowerment in Pakistan found that women’s ability to exercise financial decision-making is limited. 

Less than 40% of women participated in joint decision-making. Moreover, the study found that over half of women cannot make minor household decisions.

The study also found that women’s education positively affects their ability to make household decisions. 

In particular, women’s education is associated with a higher share of household expenditures on girls’ education.

Kenya’s socioeconomic development

Kenya’s NGO sector was essential in the country’s socioeconomic development throughout the first ten years of the twenty-first century. They helped local people acquire business skills and provided them with opportunities to earn money. They also worked with the government to help promote civic engagement, protest government mismanagement, and document policy failures.

The NGO sector proliferated during Daniel arap Moi’s administration. He established a national coordinating body for the NGO sector, the NGO Coordination Board, to ensure that the activities of NGOs suited the national interests. The government also required NGOs to submit budgets and plans for approval. The NGO Coordination Board was based in the Office of the President.

When Moi’s administration ended, the NGOs had increased to over two thousand. However, there were significant tensions between NGOs and the government. For instance, some NGOs acted unpopularly with local-level politicians. Others were threatened with deregistration for “questioning” the government’s legitimacy.

During the Kibaki administration, attitudes changed. Many Kenyans reported that they had direct contact with NGOs. They were often upset with NGOs because they did not do enough for the people they assisted. NGOs helped people obtain justice, learn about their rights, and develop business skills.

However, it is essential to note that NGOs can be fiercely competitive for resources. Most NGOs in Kenya receive foreign funding, which releases a resource constraint. The new administration is considering limiting foreign funding for PBOs. It has also decided to limit the number of civil society organizations on the board of a new government agency.

Kenya’s multi-party rule has also introduced volatility and shifting ethnic coalitions. As a result, the role of nongovernmental actors in public decision-making has increased. However, the political economy of Kenya remains dominated by ethnic-based patronage politics.

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