The Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP) aims to improve livelihoods for 1 million people in remote river island (char) areas of Bangladesh. It is funded by DFID and DFAT and works with extremely poor households over two phases from 2004-2016. CLP provides an integrated package including livelihood assets, village savings groups, home gardening, and works to influence social norms. Monitoring shows CLP substantially increases women's empowerment in decision making, income generation, and community participation. It also improves disaster resilience at household and community levels, with women showing greater resilience gains than men. In conclusion, CLP is successfully empowering women and increasing resilience through its targeted livelihoods support.

1. Presentation on Empowering Women on
the chars: Increasing resilience to
disaster and building sustainable
livelihoods
January 2015

2. Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing resilience to
disaster and building sustainable livelihoods
Funded by DFID and DFAT
Duration 1st Phase: 1st July, 2004 – 31st March 2010
2nd Phase: 1st April 2010 – 31st March 2016
Executing Ministry Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives
(Rural Development and Co-operative Division), GoB
Management agent Maxwell Stamp PLC
Working area 1st Phase: 5 north western districts, 2nd Phase:8 NW districts
Clients Island char households, especially extreme poor households
1st Phase: 55,000 CPHHs, 2nd Phase: 78,000 CPHHs
HH selection criteria 6 criteria: i) Living at least six months on the char, ii) no ownership to
land, iii) no regular source of income, iv) not own more than two
goats/sheep/ten fowl; or one shared cow, v) not have an outstanding
loan and vi) not be receiving cash/asset grants from another
programme.
Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP): Aims to improve the livelihoods, incomes
and food security of at least one million people at remote chars areas of Bangladesh
Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing resilience to
disaster and building sustainable livelihoods
Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP): Aims to improve the livelihoods, incomes
and food security of at least one million people at remote chars areas of Bangladesh
Funded by DFID and DFAT
Duration 1st Phase: 1st July, 2004 – 31st March 2010
2nd Phase: 1st April 2010 – 31st March 2016
Executing Ministry Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives
(Rural Development and Co-operative Division), GoB
Management agent Maxwell Stamp PLC
Working area 1st Phase: 5 north western districts, 2nd Phase:8 NW districts
Clients Island char households, especially extreme poor households
1st Phase: 55,000 CPHHs, 2nd Phase: 78,000 CPHHs
HH selection criteria 6 criteria: i) Living at least six months on the char, ii) no ownership to
land, iii) no regular source of income, iv) not own more than two
goats/sheep/ten fowl; or one shared cow, v) not have an outstanding
loan and vi) not be receiving cash/asset grants from another
programme.
Chars Livelihoods Programme (CLP): Aims to improve the livelihoods, incomes
and food security of at least one million people at remote chars areas of Bangladesh

3. Reducing vulnerability
to floods and shocks
Providing water,
sanitation and hygiene
Supporting health and
nutrition
Influencing social
norms
Enabling markets
Livelihoods – Asset
Transfer
Group Saving -
VSLG
Homestead
Gardening
CLP’s Approach – The Core Package
Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing
resilience to disaster and building sustainable livelihoods

4. The Evolution of CLP’s Monitoring System for Women’s Empowerment:
Women’s Empowerment Scorecard
Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing
resilience to disaster and building sustainable livelihoods

5. Mean Empowerment Score by Group
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
CLP-1 Cohort 2.3 2.3 Control
MeanEmpowermentScore
Percentage of Empowered Women (women with an Empowerment
Score of five or greater) by Group
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
CLP-1 CLP 2.3 2.3 Control
Percentage
Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing
resilience to disaster and building sustainable livelihoods
The CLP has a sustainable impact on Women’s Empowerment:
Results – Mean and Percentage

6. Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing
resilience to disaster and building sustainable livelihoods
The Evolution of CLP’s Monitoring System for Women’s Empowerment:
Results – Individual Indicators
Percentage of women achieving each indicator
0
50
100
Joint Decision Making
Own income source
Cash KeepingOwn Savings
Investment Decisions
CLP-1
CLP 2.3
Control
c

7. Percentage of women achieving each indicator
0
50
100
Committee Membership
Resolving Conflict
Attending MeetingsProviding Advice
Invitations to Social Events
CLP-1
CLP 2.3
Control
Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing
resilience to disaster and building sustainable livelihoods
The Evolution of CLP’s Monitoring System for Women’s Empowerment:
Results – Community Indicators

8. Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing
resilience to disaster and building sustainable livelihoods
The Impact of Chars Livelihoods Programme on the Disaster Resilience:
Results – Community level

9. Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing
resilience to disaster and building sustainable livelihoods
The Impact of Chars Livelihoods Programme on the Disaster Resilience:
Results – Men and Women level

10. Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing
resilience to disaster and building sustainable livelihoods
The Impact of Chars Livelihoods Programme on the Disaster Resilience:
Results – in different cohorts under CLP

11. Conclusion
• CLP has a substantial impact on women’s empowerment: both
within the household and in the community level;
• Increased income makes women more powerful in the household,
changing the existing balance of power between male and female
household members;
• Increased knowledge makes women’s opinions more highly valued
in both the household and the community;
• CLP has a considerable impact on the disaster resilience in both the
household and the community;
• Women’s disaster resilience is greater than men after the CLP
support package.
Empowering Women on the chars: Increasing
resilience to disaster and building sustainable livelihoods