Assessing need for capacity building of rural women in achieving household food security: A study after COVID-19 pandemic from riverine area of Bangladesh

Bangladesh has achieved self-sufficiency in food availability. However, a considerable number of population still remain in extreme poverty and are unable to afford a basic food consumption basket. After the COVID-19 pandemic, the situation has worsened resulting millions of people had fallen under poverty line. Apart from the prevailing deficit in total calorie intake, the normal diet of Bangladeshi people is seriously imbalanced, with more than 60 percent of calories derived from cereals. This dietary imbalance reflects insufficient domestic production of non-cereal foods (pulses, oilseeds, meat, milk and eggs), low incomes, food preferences and lack of nutrition education.  The rural communities of chararea re facing multiple livelihood challenges. Food security condition of the char's people is vulnerable.Women can play vital role in achieving food security at household level. This study focuses on the capacity building of char women. The main objectives of the study were to determine the extent of need for capacity building of char women in achieving household food security and to explore the relationship of the eleven selected characteristics of the char women with their extent of need for capacity building.A total of 90 women from two villages of Shaympur union of Melandah upazila (sub-district) under Jamalpur district were selected as sample of the study. Data were collected by using a structured interview schedule during 15 February to 15 March 2023. Need for capacity building of women was the dependent variable and the eleven selected characteristics of the respondents constituted the independent variables. To measure the extent of need for capacity building of char women, total 21 aspects under four dimensionsof capacity building were included namely i) need for decision making ability, ii) need for access to support services, iii) need for management skill, and iv) need for physical facilities. The dimensions were measured on a four-point rating scale with the responses like ‘no’, ‘low’, ‘medium’, and ‘high’ along with corresponding scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The highest proportion (66.7%) of the respondents had medium need while the rest (33.3%) of them had highest need for capacity building and none of them had low extent of need for capacity building. Among the characteristics of the respondents, extension media contact, decision making ability and knowledge on food utilization showed significant negative relationship with their extent of need for capacity building.Therefore, the policy makers, concerned government and non-government organizations should closely examine the multifaceted role of women in achieving household food security.