Individual and community-level factors associated with discrimination among women aged 15–49 years in Bangladesh: Evidence based on multiple indicator cluster survey

by Iqramul Haq, Md. Mizanur Rahman Sarker, Sharanon Chakma

This research aimed to examine the factors at both the individual and community levels that are linked to discrimination experienced by women aged 15–49 in Bangladesh.

The relevant data was taken from the 2019 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in Bangladesh. The risk factors for discrimination against women in Bangladesh were determined using multilevel logistic regression models.

The overall prevalence of discrimination against women was found to be 10.4% (95% CI: 10.1–10.6). Based on the final model (Model 1V), at the individual level higher odds of discrimination were observed among women from poor (AOR:1.21,95%CI: 1.12–1.32) and middle income households (AOR:1.12, 95%CI:1.02–1.22) compared to those from rich households etc. Women who have never used ICT were 1.27 times (AOR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.07–1.51) higher odds of discrimination when compared with women who were ICT exposed. Respondents who married before 18 years 10% more likely to (AOR = 1.10, 95% CI:1.02–1.19) discriminated than women married aged 18 years old or above. Women from urban communities were 15% less likely to experience discrimination than their rural counterparts. In comparison to the Sylhet Division, women in the Barisal, Chattogram, Dhaka, Khulna Mymensingh, Rajshahi, and Rangpur Divisions were respectively 3.02, 1.84, 1.68, 2.06, 4.97, 4.06, and 1.74 times more likely to experience discrimination.

Findings revealed that various individual-level factors such as wealth index, CEB, ICT exposure, marital status, functional difficulty, age, women’s happiness, magazine and radio exposure, age at marriage, current contraceptive use, polygamy, husband beating, place of attack, and household head age were found to have a significant association with women discrimination. Community-level factors such as residence and division were also found to have a notable impact on discrimination. Policymakers should incorporate substantial components targeting both individual and community levels into intervention programs with the goal of raising awareness about women’s discrimination.