EMPOWERING LIVELIHOODS: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN SMALL-SCALE DAIRY CATTLE FARMING IN SEMI-URBAN KHULNA

Women’s empowerment in Bangladesh is closely connected to their involvement in small-scale dairy farming, where they play a central role in managing daily activities and supporting household livelihoods. This study was conducted among 80 women dairy farmers in selected semi-urban areas of Khulna city. Data were collected through a structured interview schedule during September–October 2025 to understand their personal and household characteristics, participation in dairy activities, contribution to poverty reduction, access to services, and overall empowerment. The findings show that most respondents were middle-aged (73.7%) and had primary to secondary education, with 40% completing secondary level. Almost half belonged to small families (48.8%), and the largest share of households earned 20,001–30,000 BDT per month (40%), reflecting modest but reasonably stable living conditions. Women carried out most dairy-related tasks, performing the majority of milking (68.8%) and more than half of feeding (51.2%), and were also responsible for calf care, shed cleaning, and monitoring cattle health.

• Supervision