Earnings of 51pc households reduce to zero: BRAC survey
BRAC in a latest survey said that approximately 51% of the respondents said their household income was reduced to zero following the public holiday was declared in late March.
The disclosure was produced on Tuesday while revealing the research findings through a video conference. A complete of 2,317 respondents (68% from rural areas and 32% from urban) from different socio-economic backgrounds in 64 districts joined the survey executed from 9 to 13 Might 2020.
Of them, 37.5% were men and 63.5% women.
The survey analysis shows daily wage earners have slowly started to regain their livelihood. However, many of these people and their own families will still need support for at least three more months to recover from the setback posed by the pandemic.
The lockdown and social distancing measures announced to support the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic forced 95% people in the united states to suffer a loss in their income.
Around 62% of low income wage earners lost reduced careers. The pandemic kept around 28% of the respondents economically inactive. Average monthly household income of the respondents was BDT 24,565 prior to the public holidays, but that declined to BDT 7,096 in-may, registering a 76% decline in household income. Loss in income was somewhat greater in urban areas (79%) than in the rural ones (75%).
Respondents from Pirojpur (96%), Cox’s Bazar (95%), Rangamati (95%), Gaibandha (94%) and Brahmanbaria (93%) were found to experience suffered greater losses found in income.
In the study, women-headed households were found to be more economically vulnerable compared to households headed by males. Average income of women-headed households declined more (80%) than men-headed households (75%). Women-headed households (57%) reportedly got their monthly income lowered to zero during the public holiday, that was 49% for households headed by men.
The loss in income inevitably impacted food security, particularly of the low income people. On the average, 16% of overall households reported that that they had food and then survive for 1-3 days, while 3% of the households did not have any food during the survey time.
The survey found 11% of respondents think that there was a rise in violence against women through the holidays. Majority (58%) of these think that violence increased as poverty was intensified by the pandemic.
A lot more than three-fourths (76%) of respondents right now practice coronavirus preventive behaviours, while the leftover one-fourth practices the behaviours irregularly, which is alarming. More than three-fourth (78%) respondents believe that there is absolutely no chance or very little chance for them to getting infected with the coronavirus. Respondents from rural areas (81%) in comparison to cities (71%) express extra confidence about not getting infected. Such beliefs might propagate reluctance among persons in keeping the precautions against the pass on of coronavirus.
Close to 38% of the respondents believe more coordinated efforts are had a need to reach assist with the persons in need. The survey also found that the need of assistance is larger in rural areas (72%) in comparison to urban areas (62%).
Abul Kalam Azad, Former Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs), Prime Minister’s Office, Sudipto Mukherjee, Resident Representative of UNDP on Bangladesh, Mizanur Rahman Khan, Joint Editor, Prothom Alo, Shameran Abed, Senior Director, BRAC, and Nobonita Chowdhury, Director, BRAC, joined up with the function as panellists.
KAM Morshed, Senior Director, BRAC, moderated the press conference.
Speaking by the briefing, ex - Principal Coordinator of SDG Affairs for the Prime Minister’s Business office Abul Kalam Azad lauded the BRAC initiative and stated each and every one microfinance institutions (MFIs) and NGOs need to adhere to BRAC footsteps in returning cost savings to low income guys.
“The government is trying to finance the labour intensive sectors in order that it can help create more jobs. Skills development training for migrant personnel may also help them get back their jobs in today's crisis,” said Azad.
BRAC Senior Director Shameran Abed accredited the role of MFIs in reaching income assistance to vulnerable people and enterprises.
“Getting money to persons through banks is demanding since banks lack potential. A new mechanism is necessary and the mobile bank operating system has already been delivering. Once identified, persons are getting easy access to financing through the machine,” Shameran Abed said.
BRAC, by making use of donors and partners, has delivered emergency dollars support to 360,000 families. Beneath the Microfinance programme, savings were came back to 500,000 members, to aid in their economic healing process.
Sudipto Mukherjee, Resident UNDP Representative, stressed on concerted efforts to avert the crisis posed by the pandemic.
“We cannot afford to leave anyone behind. That is more important than having to worry about duplication. Universal protection is required for a welfare state like Bangladesh,” Mukherjee said.
