A study was conducted on the socio-economic upliftment ofthe rural poor women in Pomra Community Forestry Project (CFP) ofRangunia, Chittagong compared to those in the adjacent Non-CFP areas. Thirty sample families from each group reveal that the women populations are same (45%) in both the areas. Women who can read and write in the CFP and Non-CFP areas have been found to be 66% and 37% respectively. About 29% and 35% female workforce have been found in these two areas with 1.7 and 2.1 women per family. It has been found that 53% and 20% women are conscious about health while 70% and 53% women found to be liberal to talk or meet visitors orstrangersin the CFP and Non-CFP areas respectively. The average annual income per family have been found to be Tk. 20,640/- in CFP and Tk. 3,608/-in Non-CFP areas where the contribution of female workforce are Tk. 8,997/- and Tk. 1,647/- respectively.

CFP has also accelerated 80% women to work in agricultural/horticultural fields, 80% in provisionaljobs, 73% attending professional training, 60% attending social meetings and 70% going to bazar herselves, which are significantly different than in the Non-CFP families (t_.01=3.4 with 12 d.f.). Besides, 70% and 37% couplesjointly take their decisions in the CFP and Non-CFP areasrespectively, the difference of which is also statistically significant (C²_.01=6.7 with 1 d.f.). Moreover, 47% houses have tinned roofs in the CFP compared to 16% in the Non-CFP areas. It may, therefore, be inferred that the socio-economic condition ofthe landless families rehabilitated with 1.6 hectares of khas land have substantially been improved than they had before. It is expected that the ownership of the land made them active and encouraged to generate sources of higher income which ultimately resulted the socio-economic upliftment ofthe rehabilitated women.