Girls in Bangladesh. A study on the effects of a karate program in the Kishorganj district

Abstract

This research is based on the recognition of the United Nations to achieve the established Millennium Development Goals in 2015 with special attention to MDG no. 3: “Promote gender equality and empower women”. The general purpose of this study is to explore how and if participation in sport programs may add to the empowerment of girls. Data for this study is collected in Bangladesh by interviewing participating girls, parents and teachers. The collected data is arranged into four negotiating themes: participation, access, change and the future. The results reveal the complexity of the concept ‘empowerment’. By including the girls’ social, cultural context, I concluded that empowerment did occur, but more research and long term investment is needed to explore the extent to which empowerment is long lasting.