Local Healing Practices and Women’s Healthcare in Rural Bangladesh: A Case Study from Magura District

Abstract

This paper focuses on the local healing practices adopted by women and the women’s healthcare system in a rural area of the Magura district. This paper also investigates the reasons for selecting local healing practices as an alternative to modern healthcare services. Qualitative research has been used in this study to get a comprehensive view of the health care system of rural women. The study found that rural women mostly choose Palli Chikitshaks (Rural Medical Practitioners) for their medical treatment. The penchant for choosing other local healing practitioners i.e., Kabiraj (traditional healers), Mollas and Fakirs (religious healers), and Hakims (plant-based medical practitioners) several factors are responsible for choosing local healers including insolvency, faith, norms of Purdah (veil), economic dependency and lack of decision-making power of women in health care. In addition, the customary reputation, attentive nature of care, good behavior, and lower fees charged by the local healers draw the attention of the rural women.