Abstract
Social safety net programs are widely recognized as key instruments for addressing vulnerability and inequality, and for promoting women’s empowerment. Since its independence in 1971, Bangladesh has implemented universal and gender-responsive social safety net programs to support vulnerable individuals and promote gender equality and women's empowerment. Drawing on existing literature, this article critically examines the effectiveness of Bangladesh’s social safety net programs in promoting gender equality and women's empowerment. Findings indicate that while such programs have enhanced women’s access to education, short-term financial independence, and employment opportunities, their capacity to generate lasting socioeconomic empowerment for women remains limited due to insufficient funding allocation and, most notably, entrenched gender norms. Persistent implementation challenges, including poor targeting, corruption, and political interference, further constrain the programs’ impact. The article argues that, for greater effectiveness, social safety net programs in Bangladesh must move beyond temporary financial relief and adopt long-term strategies that address implementation gaps, structural gender inequalities, and strengthen women’s socioeconomic position.
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APA 7th edition
In-text citation: (Tripura & Rakhi, 2026)
Reference: Tripura, E., & Rakhi, M. S. (2026). Advancing women’s empowerment in Bangladesh through social safety nets: Prospects and challenges.
Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 10(2), Article 2.
https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18269
AMA 10th edition
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Tripura E, Rakhi MS. Advancing women’s empowerment in Bangladesh through social safety nets: Prospects and challenges.
Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics. 2026;10(2), 2.
https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18269
Chicago
In-text citation: (Tripura and Rakhi, 2026)
Reference: Tripura, Ena, and Mousumi Sarkar Rakhi. "Advancing women’s empowerment in Bangladesh through social safety nets: Prospects and challenges".
Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics 2026 10 no. 2 (2026): 2.
https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18269
Harvard
In-text citation: (Tripura and Rakhi, 2026)
Reference: Tripura, E., and Rakhi, M. S. (2026). Advancing women’s empowerment in Bangladesh through social safety nets: Prospects and challenges.
Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, 10(2), 2.
https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18269
MLA
In-text citation: (Tripura and Rakhi, 2026)
Reference: Tripura, Ena et al. "Advancing women’s empowerment in Bangladesh through social safety nets: Prospects and challenges".
Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics, vol. 10, no. 2, 2026, 2.
https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18269
Vancouver
In-text citation: (1), (2), (3), etc.
Reference: Tripura E, Rakhi MS. Advancing women’s empowerment in Bangladesh through social safety nets: Prospects and challenges. Feminist Encounters: A Journal of Critical Studies in Culture and Politics. 2026;10(2):2.
https://doi.org/10.20897/femenc/18269