Rural women participation in farm and off-farm activities and household income in Bangladesh.

The present study was mainly an impact of farm and off-farm activities on household income and participation of rural women in the Thakurgaon district of Bangladesh. The specific aim was to compare the rural women's participation considering their socioeconomic characteristics, income contribution to household income, and its influencing factors. An Independent Sample T-test was used to compare socioeconomic differences. Pearson's correlation test was used to determine the relationship between women's personal income and household income. The propensity Score Matching (PSM) model was used for impact evaluation of off-farm activities. The result of the t-test showed that off-farm activities were significantly ahead for women from the farm women in terms of socioeconomic variables. There was positive and a strong correlation between women's personal income from off-farm activities and their household income. The result of PSM shows that off-farm activities have a positive and significant impact on rural women's income. Estimation of the binary Probit model and marginal effects of related explanatory variables revealed that educational status, family size, work experiences, personal income, saving, and training, significantly affected rural women's involvement in off-farm activities. Therefore, to increase the pace of work, the participation of rural women in off-farm activities needs to be made more effective and efficient, for which government and non-government organizations need to take necessary steps in area-based development (such as work environment, credit facilities, communication, infrastructure, etc.).

Does Fish Farming Improve Household Nutritional Status? Evidence from Bangladesh.

In the present study, nutritional status was assessed using dietary diversity of fish and non-fish farming households in Mymensingh district of Bangladesh. It has determined the incidence of poverty in fish and non-fish farm households through a comparative analysis of family profile, food consumption, calories, and protein intake. A total of 420 farms were selected for data collection using structured questionnaires with 210 fish and 210 non-fish farm families. The study using both descriptive and functional analysis revealed that the respondent age of both farms was 45.10 years, family size was 5.70, average education was 4.64 schooling years, and average farm size was 0.514 hectares. As a result, due to the increase in household income, fish farm families improved their food consumption, calories, and protein intake in comparison with non-fish farms. On a direct calorie intake (DCI) basis, the overall absolute and hardcore poverty levels of fish farm households were 32 percent and 18 percent, respectively, while those of non-fish farm households were 22 percent and 10 percent, respectively. Therefore, the incidence of poverty was higher in non-fish farming families than in fish farming families. In principle, provision of various forms of government assistance through the Department of Fisheries (DOF) will further intensify and strengthen fish farming, which will easily bring fallow and uncultivated lands of the area under fish farming. Moreover, it is possible to inspire the younger generation through this research that will help them to become a fish farm-based entrepreneur. The main conclusion of the present study is that fish farming is more positively related to household income, family food intake, and nutritional status than any other type of farming.