Another case study worth sharing with you is that of Zimona, Fahema and Hafiza - 3 widowed/abandoned women. It demonstrates the important contribution of CDSP-III to their vulnerable livelihoods and empowerment:

The poor char areas of Bangladesh are characterized by relatively high levels of abandonment of women by their husbands. Furthermore, it is not uncommon for women to become widows at a relatively young age as a result of poor health conditions and the absence of law and order. This has also been the case for Boyer Char.

Widows and abandoned women usually face more economic hardship then other women, because of the absence of a male breadwinner. As most women in Bangladesh strongly depend on men for their economic survival, becoming a widow or being abandoned often causes them to slide deeper into poverty or become destitute. With families depending on them for their survival and very few or no economic resources, these women often experience great suffering and adversity. Widows and abandoned women are also known to be more vulnerable to all sorts of exploitation, abuse and discrimination, as there are no husbands present to protect them.
Within CDSP-III, vulnerable and destitute women are often treated as a priority category, f.e by including them in Field Level Organizations and appointing them – among other things - as community health workers, poultry workers or horticulture nurserers.

The story of Zimona (30) – a mother of four - is characteristic for many widows in Boyer Char. In 2003 – when her youngest daughter was just born - she lost her husband, whom she married when she was only 12 years old. The reasons surrounding his death are still somewhat unclear to Zimona, but it has been said that her husband was beaten to death for political reasons by members of the ruling party at that time – as he was supposedly involved in the opposition. Aside from the emotional hardship, his death also had severe economic consequences for the young family. As her husband was the economic provider of the family and Zimona did not have any sources of income, she could no longer maintain her four children. She therefore sent her 11 year old daughter and 6 year old son to live with her mother and sister in Hatiya. Her two youngest daughters – a baby and 2 year old – stayed with Zimona in Boyer Char. Whereas before her husband’s death the family lived a relatively good life and had enough to eat, now Zimona and her two young daughters lived in severe poverty and were facing serious food shortages. Their regular diet consisted of rice with some chillies or salt, as vegetables, fish and meat were simply too costly. Furthermore, many days went by in which the family could not afford to have three meals and were forced to live on only one or two meals. Other basic needs – such as health care – also remained unmet for Zimona and her two daughters. As she had no family members living close by, Zimona almost completely relied on herself to secure the survival of her household. Her two brothers – both living in Dhaka – tried to support her financially, but it was far from enough.
When CDSP-III started in 2005, Zimona became member of a Farmers Forum (FF), Social Forestry Group (SFG) and NGO group (SSUS). As a FF member, she received free seeds, fertilizer and seed drums. As a result her agricultural production increased. However, this increase remained relatively limited because she is not as actively involved in agricultural activities as many other men and women in her community. Nevertheless, she is now better able to feed her family. The benefits from the SFG have remained small up until today, as the trees are not matured yet. However, in the future this is expected to improve. As an NGO group member, Zimona received a 5.000TK loan, which she used to maintain her house. Furthermore, she became a poultry worker. As a poultry worker she receives 400TK per month and 60TK to cover her transport costs. In addition, she earns 1TK per vaccinated chicken and 50 paisa per vaccinated chick. Besides increasing her opportunities for earning an income, CDSP-III has also helped Zimona in another way. Her family owned a small piece of land - bought by her husband to start a shop – and after becoming a widow, Zimona received threats from local powerful people that they would take it away from her. As these constituted real and serious threats, CDSP-III helped her to sell the land before losing it completely. With this money, Zimona expanded and improved her house. She is currently also in the process of getting an official title to her land.
Even though her situation is still dire and Zimona continues to experience difficulties in meeting her family’s most basic needs, her living standard a has increased a bit as a result of the project.

The same is true for Fahema (25), a mother of two young daughters. Her life also improved as a result of the project. Her husband abandoned her one year ago. Although this was not the first time – he left her without a trace three times before – Fahema thinks that this time he will not come back. Rumors say he got married to another woman or died. As Fahema and her daughters were already living with her parents and received financial support from them, they did not experience the economic hardship Zimona’s family did. Nevertheless, CDSP-III also provided Fahema with various opportunities to improve her life and that of her daughters. She f.e. became member of an NGO group (SSUS) and obtained various micro-credit loans. These loans were all invested in her father’s tea stall, as he is the economic provider of the family. Three years ago, Fahema also received an 18 day training to become a community health worker. This training paid her 600TK and as a community health worker she now earns at least 400TK per month. By selling medicine – provided by the NGO against a very low price – Fahema can further increase her income. Last but not least, Fahema became the secretary of a SFG. Therefore, she received a bicycle and some other necessary items (like a bag, notebooks and pens). Like Zimona, the benefits from the SFG are still limited, but expected to increase in the near future. Fahema also received an official title to her land, which she gave to her father. Although Fahema still economically depends on her father, she now contributes more to the survival of her family, which has improved her position.

Another example is Hafiza (45), mother of a young daughter and two adult sons. She was married twice. Her first husband – the father of her two sons – abandoned Hafiza many years ago and her second husband died in 2002, when their daughter was just born. Like Zimona’s husband, he was killed for political reasons. Because her husband used to contribute very little to the family, Hafiza was always the one responsible for the survival of herself and her children. She maintained her family by producing homestead crops and field crops. As a result, not much changed economically after her husband’s death. However, due to CDSP-III the family was presented with many new income-earning opportunities.
Hafiza – as a hardworking and persistent woman - seized all opportunities presented to her and managed to significantly increase her family’s standard of living. She joined a Water Management Group (WMG), FF, SFG and NGO group (SSUS). Her agricultural production more than doubled and – as a result - the family is now almost completely self-sufficient. She obtained various micro-credit loans, which she used for cultivation purposes, the purchase of cows and the start of a tailoring business for her son. Her son hands over all his earnings to Hafiza and this way also contributes to the maintenance of the family. With the help of the NGO, Hafiza also started a nursery business with which she earns around 50.000TK per year. Furthermore, she owns a fish pond which provides her family with daily fresh fish. Like Zimona and Fahema, Hafiza has not received many benefits from the SFG yet, but believes that this will improve soon.
As a result of the project and Hafiza’s hard work, her family now experiences total food security and lives a better and more secure life. She has become a much respected member of the community and experienced a significant increase in her status. Because she’s doing so well, her first husband – who abandoned her for another woman – now wants to marry her again. Hafiza is not interested in his proposals however. She is very happy with her life and does not want to get married again. As argued by her: “I am empowered. The power is in my hands now. I have no need of any husband”.

The cases of Zimona, Fahema and Hafiza are good examples of the vulnerabilities and difficulties faced by widows and abandoned women in Boyer Char. They also illustrate the importance of CDSP-III for enabling these women to improve and secure their livelihoods. The extent to which this actually happens seems to depend on various factors, of which women’s own mind-set and attitude is an important one. Hafiza f.e. has proven to be a very hardworking woman, keen on utilizing every opportunity to the maximum extent possible. In this respect, she represents many widows and abandoned women in Boyer Char. Zimona and Fahema on the other hand, proved to be less effective in taking charge over their own lives. Especially Zimona is very afraid of social criticism, which holds her back from actively exploring and utilizing the opportunities presented to her. Another influential factor is women’s household composition. Having adult children – like Hafiza – often provides women with valuable support and increases their chances of successfully improving their lives.