Working within the constraints of a social system in which women are s
ubordinated and secluded, the Bangladeshi family planning program uses
village-based female workers to deliver contraceptive information and
supplies to women in their homes. In-depth interviews conducted with
104 women and 92 men (including 85 couples) as part of an ethnographic
study in rural Bangladesh suggest that this strategy, despite ifs suc
cess in increasing contraceptive prevalence, often fails to provide ad
equate information and support to contraceptive users and may actually
reinforce women's isolation and powerlessness by accommodating existi
ng gender norms. In addition, the program has placed the costs of fert
ility control primarily on women by emphasizing female methods and fai
ling to involve men.