Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.

org
ISSN 2222-1700 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2855 (Online)
Vol.5, No.3, 2014

Globalization and Women in Bangladesh: A Review of Socio

Socio-Economic and Cultural Impacts
Momtaz Jahan
Associate Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Dhaka
Email: momtaz_9@hotmail.com
ABSTRACT
We live in an ‘age of globalization’. The impact of globalization has brought about positive as well as negative
effects on almost every societal aspect in the present day world. Globalization affects developed and developing
nations differently. It also affects different groups of people in different ways. Women clearly stand out among
the distinct groups of society upon whom globalization’s impact has been most significant. In this paper an
attempt has been made to present an overview of the socio-economic and cultural consequences of globalization
on women in Bangladesh from various angles.
Keywords: Globalization, Women, Changing economy, Society, Culture.

1. Introduction
Globalization is a complex, unavoidable and dynamic phenomenon. It is difficult to define precisely because it is
not a unitary process. Rather, it is a complex process that consists of many facets and affects different groups of
people differently in different places. Globalization refers to the increasingly global relationships of culture,
people and economic activity. Depending on one’s view point, the scope of globalization affects the economy,
polity, technology, culture, and society of a nation. During the last three decades, globalization has created a
tremendous impact on the lives of the people in developing nations. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the
effect and impact of globalization on the life and livelihood of women in Bangladesh.

This paper is a literature based review. It is totally based on secondary data. The data was drawn from various
sources. Various issues were obtained by consulting the websites concerned. The paper is organized as follows.
The first section deals with the conceptual analysis and different dimensions of globalization. The second part
investigated the impact of globalization on women in Bangladesh from economical, social and cultural
perspectives. Several points have been analyzed in this section to assess the gendered impact of globalization.
Finally the third section concludes by proposing the way forward to improve women’s conditions within
globalization.

2. Globalization: Conceptual Analysis

In development discourse, the term ‘globalization’ has been widely discussed and debated. Globalization has
become one of the world’s most employed concepts to characterize the dynamics of the present era. But it is not
a new phenomenon. For some historians, its seeds were sown as early as the fifteenth or sixteenth century
(Robertson, 1992). However, it has emerged as a dominant international system at the end of the twentieth
century and affected everyone in the world directly or indirectly.
Generally, Globalization is a process through which an increasing portion of economic, social and cultural
transactions could take place directly or indirectly between different parties among different countries and
markets (Radice, 1999).
In the word of Moghadm, globalization is “a complex economic, political, cultural and geographic process in
which the mobility of capital, organizations, ideas, discourses and people has taken a global or transnational
form (Moghadam, 1999).
Blackmore describes globalization as, “increased economic, cultural, environmental and social interdependencies
and new transnational, financial and political formations arising out of the mobility of capital, labor and
information, with both homogenizing and differentiating tendencies (Blackmore, 2000).
McGrew (1992) explains globalization as ‘the multiplicity of linkages and interconnections between the states
and societies which make up the modern world system. It describes the process by which events, decisions and
activities in one part of the world can come to have significant consequences for individuals and communities in
quite distant parts of the globe’.
Globalization the ongoing process of greater interdependence among countries and their citizens is complex and
multifaceted. It is not a single process but rather a bundle of different economic, cultural, technological, political
and ecological processes. People from different academic disciplines use the term ‘globalization’ from different
perspectives. But whatever definition one accepts, from whatever approach one might take, globalization is,

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Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1700 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2855 (Online)
Vol.5, No.3, 2014

obviously, a multi dimensional process ,which is looked at from diverse perspectives-----social, cultural,
political, economic, environmental, technological, and so on.
2.1Dimensions of Globalization
Economic globalization – this central dimension of globalization is reflected in the increasing amount of cross
border trade in goods and services, the increasing volume of international financial flows and increasing flows of
labor. For economists, globalization is concerned with international trade, investments and capital market flows
and participated by nations, large corporations, and financial institutions (Zafarullah and Huque, 2012).
But globalization is much more than an economic phenomenon. Though often defined in strongly economic
terms, globalization has wide variety of other dimensions: technology, information, military, environmental,
sociopolitical and cultural (Friedman, 2000). The technological and political changes that derive the process of
economic globalization have massive non economic consequences. In the words of Anthony Giddens,
“Globalization is political, technological and cultural, as well as economic ‘(Giddens, 2002).
Globalization is also a social and cultural process in which individuals of different cultural backgrounds interacts
with each other in all spheres of life more intensively than before (Ergil, 2010).Cultural globalization may be
perceived as a spread of cultural practices---and habits, values products, experiences, ways of life---from certain
dominant places to others (Tomilson, 2003) or, for the people of the developing world, the Westernization or
Americanization of their cultures.
It highlights the connections among languages, ways of living and fears of global homogeneity through the
spread of North American and European languages and culture. ‘Globalization of culture’ at its most profound
level sees the growing development of a monolithic consumer culture, a moral vision that seems to encourage a
global vision of the world. (Kalam, 2002).
Environmental globalization includes the increasingly global effects of human activity on the environment.
Political globalization connects the expanding role of international governmental institutions and increasing
political interdependence of nation states where as social globalization refers to inter exchange aspects of social
life (Berner and Conyers, 2003/2004, cited in Haque, 2006). Hoogvelt (2001) defines globalization ‘as a new
social architecture of cross-border human interactions’.
The above definitions and dimensions reveal that, globalization is a comprehensive term which encompasses a
wide range of issues and phenomena. However, the discussion of this paper will be concentrated especially on
the economic and socio-cultural aspects of globalization.

3.Globalization and its Impact on Women

Globalization has had various impacts on the lives of the people. In the developing countries like Bangladesh,
due to women’s deprivation from resources and other opportunities, they are more affected by globalization and
deeply experiencing its effects. The impacts of globalization on women are more complicated. Globalization is a
double edged process as far as women are concerned.
In discussing how economical and socio cultural change from globalization has affected the women in
Bangladesh I should analyze the following issues.

3.1Feminization of the Labor Force

One of the most significant socio-economic effects of globalization has been the enormous numbers of women
joining the economically active population in the developing countries. Increasing trend of trade deficit among
LDCs due to market liberalization, cut back of state expenditure imposed by structural adjustment programs
resulted in increased participation of women in the paid labor. Globalization has caused women to become wage
earners and support their families. Women’s role in the labor force has changed from traditional, agricultural and
domestic roles. The traditional patriarchal households which had previously kept their women at home released
their hold to allow the women to work in factories (Barkat and Maksud, 2001). Women have entered into
nontraditional occupations to a large extent due to establishment of export oriented industry in Bangladesh.
Export promotion and trade liberalization policies have lead to the feminization of the labor force.
What has made women highly desirable workers in the new global economy is their capacity to provide an
equivalent service at a lower wage and under much more insecure conditions than their male counterparts.
Women are also willing to work as part time workers. Women who do not have specialized high level education
only form parts of the large pools of low skilled, low paid, insecure employees. Corporations always seek
‘cheap’ and ‘docile’ forms of waged labor and that is why increased number of women is being drawn into the
labor force. In many countries, female unemployment rates in the 1980s declined relative to male unemployment
rates.
Export-led industrialization has contributed to the growth of low wage female employment in developing
countries. Bangladesh has paved the way for greater economic exploitation of women through export processing
zones (EPZs). Transnational corporations (TNCs) decrease their production costs by transferring low–skill jobs
to EPZs to take advantage of low-cost labor. In most cases, women are the ones with low skills and low

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Journal of Economics and Sustainable Development www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1700 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2855 (Online)
Vol.5, No.3, 2014

bargaining power. Aside from low wages, women are subjected to work in hazardous conditions that can cause
health problems. They are considered as being cheaper to employ, more passive and less likely to unionize. So
despite employment legislation, requiring equal pay for equal work, women are consistently paid less than men.
In the manufacture sector of Bangladesh, gender discrimination in wage rate is more pervasive. In fact, the
process of globalization produces feminization of poverty through feminization of cheap labor.

As women move into work force, their domestic responsibilities are not alleviated. They have to work longer
hours. Dawn to dusk unpaid domestic responsibilities is accompanied by low paid, exploitative, temporary and
insecure jobs. Though globalization has brought jobs to women, they are exposed to work exploitation in terms
of low wages, poor working conditions and instability of employment.
The impact of commercialization and privatization of the social sector have deeper consequences on social and
economic spheres of life. The withdrawal of the social welfare and security net, forces the women into an even
more subjugated and deprived position (Barakat and Maksud, 2001). A decrease of public expenditure in social
sector has increased the vulnerability of the poor especially the poor women.
However, there is no single meaning of economic globalization for women’s work. The impact can be both
positive and negative and differs by context, by industry or trade and by employment status. Access to paid
employment raises self confidence and brings about empowerment among women and consequently increased
their bargaining power at the household level. It is also contributing to poverty alleviation by generating extra
earning for poor households (Barkat and Maksud, 2001). In this way, globalization affect on gender equality,
women empowerment and building the capability of women .But globalization also has had unfavorable effects
on women in Bangladesh. Some women have been able to find new jobs or new markets for their products while
others have lost jobs or markets. Moreover, many women have seen their wages decline, their working
conditions deteriorate or their workload increasing. There are strong indications that globalization has brought
adverse effects on women’s employment situation.
Economic globalization has the potential to create a variety of changes within the social structure of the country.

Not only societal but intra familial issues are affected by globalization. Globalization has changed the intra
household responsibilities for females, where females are given more responsibility over the survival of the
family (Bacchus, 2005). Women’s domestic responsibilities continue to be a source of vulnerability for them
mainly because of two reasons. It is unpaid work and it also diminishes women’s mobility and autonomy to
design their labor market strategies. In spite of that women are becoming the bread winner in most households.
There are empirical claims of women gaining a feeling of independence from traditional gender roles in society –
especially in marriage and child bearing. Attitudinal changes towards women’s role in the family due to good
education, good job opportunities are surely helping in the development of more confident and empowered
women.

On the other hand, in the face of a rapidly expanded global impact the family structure in Bangladesh is
undergoing some qualitative and quantitative changes. The pattern of traditional large families is breaking into
the nucleus families. More women are getting out of the family circle to join the work force. The mass influx of
women into paid work and long working hours of women have resulted in family breakdown. Divorce rates are
rising. Furthermore, children’s dropping out of school, child prostitution, addiction to drugs are direct
consequences of family breakdown.

3.2Feminized Migration
Globalization has resulted in huge migratory movements. In some particular migrant labor flows, women are in
the overwhelming majority. Social scientists have termed this as ‘feminization of migration’. Increasing
responsibility to raise family income leads Bangladeshi women to migrate to oil rich wealthier states of Middle
East and East Asian countries in different professions like nursing, domestic worker, child career etc. They are
part of a global flow of women from poorer states to wealthier ones. Again, the expansion of industrial sector,
particularly, readymade garments industry in Bangladesh led to the rural-urban migration of thousands of young
women.
According to a study, migration has an empowering effect on migrant women (IOM, 2000, cited in sultana,
2002). The opportunities for women to go abroad for employment enhance empowerment. But on the other hand,
women are victims of wage discrimination, heavy workloads and sexual harassment by employers in both cases
of migration ( Haque, 2006). Most of the women migrant workers face sexual harassment while working in
Middle East countries. Some Women emigrate and know that they will become prostitute, because there are no
other opportunities for them. Migrant women workers in the garment industry take shelter in slums and squatter
settlements or in messes. All of these living arrangements are insecure for women. Women living in slums and

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ISSN 2222-1700 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2855 (Online)
Vol.5, No.3, 2014

squatter settlements report that they are always afraid of local touts. They face a significant possibility of being
raped or harassed by local touts (Sultana, 2002). Thus, the migrant women lost their social prestige in many
cases.

3.3Trafficking, Prostitution and Tourism

International marketing of sex trafficking of women and girls has become a big transnational business today.
Women are increasingly being bought and sold across national borders by organized networks. It has been
reported that thousands of Bangladeshi women are getting victims of sex trade in the form of sale of women,
prostitution and pornography etc due to the internationalization of sex tourism ( Barkat and Maksud, 2001).
When government promote tourism as a currency earnings growth strategy, business Mafias count prostitution as
part and parcel of it. Local young women are seen as a sexual pool for tourists, regardless of the social
consequences or the health risks for the women themselves. Deadly diseases like HIV\AIDS are being spread by
travelers to the remotest part of the world.

3.4Social and Cultural Transformation

Globalization is a social and cultural process in which individuals of different cultural backgrounds interact with
each other in all spheres of life more intensively than before. So it is another area that exhibits tremendous
changes in the age of globalization. Changes enter our lives through technology, consumer products, new
thoughts and visions of others. Cultural globalization has increased cross cultural contacts. Life styles, dress
styles, fashions, modes of behavior, foods, music and cinemas now become global.
A distinct change has taken place in traditional life patterns of women. Westernized dress, modern haircut,
delaying marriage is the effects of cultural globalization on women. Globalization has contributed to dating,
celebration of friendship day, valentine day and modeling. Beauty contest, fashion shows are now common in
Bangladesh. More women are going beauty parlor to increase their physical beauties and even they are taking
help of expensive cosmetic surgeries and laser treatment (Haque, 2006).
The entertainment and culture industry in general converts the women and her body into a commodity quite
openly and nakedly. There is a distorted exhibition of the female body for the sake of commerce (Barkat and
Maksud, 2001). Even in motor car exhibition people will find nice bodily exposed female who is standing beside
the car to promote that goods. Females are used as commodity which degrades their dignity. Society has become
more open compared to its earlier conservative look due to exposure to other cultures through cable network.
Cable TV and foreign movies acted as a catalyst in bulldozing the cultural boundaries. All these technologies
have changed perceptions and dreams of ordinary women.

3.5Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Women

Globalization has been speeded up through the increasing usage of ICT. But for those people particularly women
who do not have adequate literacy levels, the information society is proving to be further detrimental to their
progress. Increased use of ICT not only developing world business, knowledge and education but also helping to
establish crime network and trafficking of women. There has been a increase in the violence particularly against
women. More availability of cheap and filthy materials, porn movies are contributing towards the increased rate
of violence. Girls are being blackmailed through new technology of photography, mobile camera, internet etc.
Women are being raped in moving vehicles. There is deterioration in social values as evident from the less
respect for ladies, older people.

4. Conclusion
Today’s prescription for development is globalization. As globalization progress, understanding under what
circumstances does it contributes to the goals of development is important. Globalization is not an unmixed
blessing. How Globalization has produced specific opportunities, risks and vulnerabilities for women in
Bangladesh will facilitate our understanding of globalization from gender perspective. Unemployment, low paid
employment, poor working conditions, poor bargaining power, family breakdown, child labor, trafficking,
prostitution are the well known, visible, obvious negative aspects of globalization on women in Bangladesh. The
impact of commercialization and privatization in the social sector because of globalization inevitably increased
the vulnerability of the poor, especially, the poor women. As for example, private services for health and
education are beyond the reach of the poor and middle class women in Bangladesh.
In fact, Globalization is a two edged sword. How a woman is affected by globalization really depends on
intersecting factors such as class, race, ability, age and education. For instance, there are women in the upper
class in Bangladesh who have significantly benefitted through better education, new technologies, better
employment and increased purchasing power. Born in Bangladesh Irin Khan runs the Amnesty International.
However, the vast majority of women are worse off now than before.

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Vol.5, No.3, 2014

In the context of globalization policy makers have to address gender related opportunities and constraints faced
by women. Unless gender issues and concerns are understood, acknowledged and addressed, globalization will
only exacerbate the inequalities between men and women, even in the circumstances, where its effects are
positives.

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