Factors Influencing Post-Marriage Education and Employment among Bangladeshi Women: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Abstract

Higher education and employment are two key components of women’s empowerment. However, many women fail to continue their studies or work after marriage, which can significantly reduce their empowerment potential, especially in countries with stark gender inequality such as in Bangladesh. In this study, our objective was to explore the individual, household and community factors associated with post-marriage education and employment among Bangladeshi women using data from the latest Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS 2017–18). Data were analysed using multivariate logistic regression methods. The results of the study show that a large proportion of the participants did not continue their studies (42.1%) or work (72.5%) after marriage, while only 3% of the participants studied and about 29.0% worked for more than 5 years after marriage. The most important factors associated with continuing to study after marriage include having access to a mobile phone (OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.62, 2.19), the husband’s number of years of education (OR = 1.11, 95% CI = 1.08, 1.15), a higher household wealth index (OR = 1.27–4.31) and improved toilet facilities (OR = 1.36, 1.12, 1.65). Conversely, the number of children (OR = 0.69, 95% CI = 0.65, 0.73), living in rural areas (OR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.68, 0.88) and residing in certain divisions are negatively associated with continuing to study after marriage. Women with a mobile phone (OR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.06, 2.03) are more likely to continue working after marriage, while those with larger spousal age differences (OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.19, 0.58) and those living in the Chittagong division (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.30, 0.96) are less likely to do so. The study indicates that a large proportion of Bangladeshi women do not continue their education or work after marriage. These findings underscore the significance of empowering women and addressing sociodemographic issues to promote education and work opportunities after marriage.

Continuation of education after marriage and its associated factors among young adult women: findings from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey 2017–2018

“…26 Earlier research on post-nuptial continuation of education among women in Bangladesh mainly focused on some individual-level variables, such as age at marriage, childbirth, owning a cell phone, or better sanitary conditions. 27 28 Bhowmik et al revealed that women who married before age 18 and adolescent mothers were less likely to continue education after marriage. 27 Although Ghose et al's study in Bangladesh demonstrated that communitylevel variables have a significant effect on women's postmarital education, their analysis only took into account region and place of residence.…”