Effectiveness of Old Age Allowance (OAA) and Widow Allowance (WA) Programs on the Livelihood of its Beneficiaries in Bangladesh

International Journal of Economics and Management Studies
© 2021 by SSRG - IJEMS Journal
Volume 8 Issue 6
Year of Publication : 2021
Authors : Farhana Parvin Khan
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How to Cite?

Farhana Parvin Khan, "Effectiveness of Old Age Allowance (OAA) and Widow Allowance (WA) Programs on the Livelihood of its Beneficiaries in Bangladesh," SSRG International Journal of Economics and Management Studies, vol. 8,  no. 6, pp. 6-14, 2021. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23939125/IJEMS-V8I6P102

Abstract:

The OAA and WA programs are designed for the vulnerable women and aged persons who do not have regular income or pension and who suffer from acute poverty. The effective implementation may help to reduce the poverty from the society. With a view to investigate its effectiveness, a mixture of quantitative and qualitative methods has been used for the study. Questionnaire survey, in- depth interviews, focus group discussions, case studies, short term observations as well as secondary sources have been used for data collection. Of the respondents, maximum said that OAA and WA were a great relief for them to meet up their necessities. The study revealed that though the amount of money is small, the persons enjoying this are considered to be a privileged group and in an advantageous position in the family and society. However, from the findings it appears that the OAA and WA program could have reduced the poverty level in the society. The programs have positive impacts on food security and resource base of the beneficiaries. Despite the many success stories, the programs suffer local political patronage during the selection of the beneficiaries. As such many poor people remain out of these safety nets due to some irregularities in the implementation.

Keywords:

Old Age Allowance, Widow Allowance, Poverty, Resource Base, Bangladesh

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