Role of Adaptive Home Based Workspaces in Coping Gender Inequality in Korail Slum, Dhaka

Abstract

Gender and the politics of space are closely interrelated. Like many other sprawling cities, in Dhaka slums are the natural consequence of rapid, unplanned urbanization and poor economic growth. Due to extreme poverty and lower level of education, the female slum dwellers face acute gender inequality. The study investigates how women facing gender inequality use home based work as coping mechanism. The study attempts to identify the adaptive micro-scale workspaces and their role in everyday life of female slum dwellers. To explore this and related issues, the study uses interviews, focus group discussion and observation as research tools in Korail slum of Dhaka. Key findings of the study are the pattern of spontaneous cultural adaptations and female workers' ability to create home based workspaces for survival. These will potentially contribute in identifying the spontaneous micro-scale space typologies in adapted gendered spaces. Establishing this facilitates the understanding of their role as coping mechanism against gender inequality, which can guide possible future intervention and/or external support.