Photo : BSS

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, Nov 24, 2025 (BSS) - The rural micro-economies are becoming stronger as a result of diversification of income-generating activities (IGA) through multidimensional government support for women's empowerment in Rangpur region.
 
Officials and experts said that hundreds of poor rural women have achieved self-reliance through diversified IGAs, giving their families the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty and live better lives with new dreams.
 
Chairman of North Bengal Institute of Development Studies, a research organisation, Dr Syed Samsuzzaman told BSS that rural women have set a shining example by making significant contributions in strengthening the rural micro-economy.
 
Earlier, poor rural women had to lead miserable lives during seasonal lean periods of 'Aswin' and 'Kartik' months due to joblessness and lack of farm-activities till the beginning of Aman rice harvest. 
 
"Following successful implementation of comprehensive social safety-net programs (SSNPs) and other efforts by the government, rural poor, including women, are not experiencing any seasonal lean periods," he said.
 
The main SSNPs include Test Relief, Food for Work and Works for Taka, Vulnerable Group Development, Vulnerable Group Feeding, employment generations, providing shelters to homeless families, assistance and allowances. 
 
Close monitoring of the government along with continuation of SSNPs, providing training and easy-term loans to rural women for IGAs have improved their living standard empowering them in families and society.
 
Socioeconomic condition of the rural poor has marked improvement following their engagements with various IGAs under comprehensive GO-NGO-private sector initiatives in recent years. 
            
“Because of their improved socioeconomic conditions, none can find adolescents, girls and children as domestic aids now in the region, including char areas, where people had to lead miserable life during seasonal lean periods in the pasts," Dr Zaman added. 
 
Deputy Director of the District Department of Women Affairs Seloara Begum said the socioeconomic status of rural women has improved following their engagements with IGAs under various effective GO-NGO-private sector initiatives.
 
“The rural women have achieved self-reliance through small-scale enterprises, trades, cottage industries, sewing, micro-credit activities, homestead farming, pisciculture, rearing poultry birds, animals and making handloom garments,” she said.
 
She said easy-term and interest-free loans, training for unemployed rural women on various trades for self-employment, assistance from the government and development partners also helped them play important roles to cut poverty.

Senior Officer of Rangpur Palli Sanchay Bank (PSB) Md Mahidul Islam said rural women are changing fortune through IGAs, enterprises, businesses, animal husbandry, poultry and other activities with the project assistance.
 
“More than one-lakh women-led poor rural families have improved their living standard in Rangpur district alone through running small-scale enterprises, businesses, animal husbandry, poultry and other activities,” he added.
 
Children of the poor rural families are now going to schools though many of them lived under abject poverty in the past.
 
Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Development (DYD) Md Akhirul Islam said many unemployed youths, mostly women, have so far got training and interest free loans to become self-reliant in Rangpur district alone through IGAs.
 
"The beneficiaries are continuing diversified IGAs, enterprises, running businesses, animal husbandry, poultry, fisheries and homestead farming with multidimensional government assistance," he added.
 
The increasing progress of rural micro-economy has made rural women confident about a bright future for their children after they achieve economic self-reliance.