Educational Media Reviews Online

This informative documentary effectively portrays the developing advancements and triumphs of women living in impoverished, flood-prone Bangladesh, the world's most densely populated country, with an illiteracy rate of 60%. Regional aid groups such as the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) are actively assisting women to improve their economic plight by teaching them practical skills and empowering them to foster cottage industries and schools. In defying Islamic and traditional patriarchal customs forbidding them to work, these women have begun to transform their lives, often risking retaliation by religious zealots. This video is an important modern testament to women's courage, pride, and strength, against all odds.

Women in the Struggle Against Poverty presents excellent footage of difficult daily life in Bangladesh, often focusing on Sagwara Begum and her husband Yunus Mia, whose stories are effectively translated by a voice over. Sagwara is a visionary village leader who purchased enough property through farming to start a school, and is warmly supported by Yunus. Other women are filmed planting mulberry trees to promote forestation and breed silkworms. Vivid follow-up scenes show convivial groups silk weaving and going to the male-dominated market to sell the beautiful cloth

Women in the Struggle Against Poverty is recommended for secondary and college classes studying third world economies, Women's Studies, and Asian Studies. The powerful visuals and interviews provide critical documentation to supplement a textbook rendering of the subject matter.