• About us
  • GSDRC Publications
  • Research Helpdesk
  • E-Bulletin
  • Privacy policy

GSDRC

Governance, social development, conflict and humanitarian knowledge services

  • Governance
    • Democracy & elections
    • Public sector management
    • Security & justice
    • Service delivery
    • State-society relations
  • Social Development
    • Gender
    • Inequalities & exclusion
    • Social protection
    • Poverty & wellbeing
  • Humanitarian Issues
    • Humanitarian financing
    • Humanitarian response
    • Recovery & reconstruction
    • Refugees/IDPs
    • Risk & resilience
  • Conflict
    • Conflict analysis
    • Conflict prevention
    • Conflict response
    • Conflict sensitivity
    • Impacts of conflict
    • Peacebuilding
  • Development Pressures
    • Climate change
    • Food security
    • Fragility
    • Migration & diaspora
    • Population growth
    • Urbanisation
  • Approaches
    • Complexity & systems thinking
    • Institutions & social norms
    • PEA / Thinking & working politically
    • Results-based approaches
    • Theories of change
  • Aid Instruments
    • Budget support & SWAps
    • Capacity building
    • Civil society partnerships
    • Multilateral aid
    • Private sector partnerships
    • Technical assistance
  • M&E
    • Indicators
    • Learning
    • M&E approaches
  • Blogs
Home»GSDRC Publications»Social exclusion in Bangladesh

Social exclusion in Bangladesh

Helpdesk Report
  • Claire Mcloughlin,
  • Seema Khan
May 2008

Question

What are the key characteristics of social exclusion in Bangladesh?

Summary

A large portion of the existing research on social exclusion in Bangladesh focuses on women (this is dealt with in a separate GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report on ‘Gender Inequality in Bangladesh’). Much of the remaining research focuses on ethnic minorities (indigenous peoples), who are concentrated in rural areas and variably excluded from social, political, and economic arenas. These groups have experienced lack of recognition, fear and insecurity, loss of cultural identity, and social oppression. Other excluded groups include sex workers, people with disabilities, street children and urban-rural migrants.

A common form of exclusion for the above groups is exclusion from wider social (support) networks, which can be essential in areas where state services are lacking. Other common manifestations of exclusion are; unequal access to employment opportunities; unequal access to formal services such as health and water and sanitation; and landlessness, which is often cited as a particularly damaging form of discrimination. A major area of concern in terms of the impact of social exclusion seems to be the exclusion of children from education.

Drivers of social exclusion include: long held discriminatory beliefs and stigma; social institutions such as the caste system; and the hierarchical organisation of societies according to dominant cultural values.

 

file type icon See Full Report [PDF]

Enquirer:

  • DFID Bangladesh

Related Content

Impact of COVID-19 on Child Labour in South Asia
Helpdesk Report
2020
Situation of Persons with Disabilities in Lebanon
Helpdesk Report
2018
Disability in South Sudan
Helpdesk Report
2017
Assistive technologies in developing countries
Helpdesk Report
2017

Outputs supported by FCDO are © Crown Copyright 2025; outputs supported by the Australian Government are © Australian Government 2025; and outputs supported by the European Commission are © European Union 2025

Connect with us: facebooktwitter

Outputs supported by DFID are © DFID Crown Copyright 2025; outputs supported by the Australian Government are © Australian Government 2025; and outputs supported by the European Commission are © European Union 2025

We use cookies to remember settings and choices, and to count visitor numbers and usage trends. These cookies do not identify you personally. By using this site you indicate agreement with the use of cookies. For details, click "read more" and see "use of cookies".