Bangladesh
Farhat Jahan
Bangladesh has topped among the South Asian countries in gender equality, ranking 50th out of 153 nations countries, according to the Global Gender Gap Index Report 2020, World Economic Forum (WEF). Bangladesh is gradually progressing in the gender gap from 2008 when it attained 91st rank ‘s among 115 nations. This change in ranks indicates that the progress of women’s participation in the education sector, working sector and social activities. Since the last 15-20 years, women are coming out from the traditional notion of society and have become self-reliant by getting involved in different professions through receiving education and training.
In the case of women empowerment, Bangladesh is unique in nature. It has been governed by successive women prime ministers since 1991. In 2019 women held 25.2 % of parliamentary lower house seats and 22.1% of ministerial positions. Though the number is remarkable for a developing country like Bangladesh, which got independence just five decades ago but still the old trend in engaging politics is still prevailing. If more women engage in politics independently then the women’s progress will be achieved rather than following the traditionally engaging in politics following male family members.
Girl’s dropping out from primary and secondary level education has been decreased and many girls now can reach to higher secondary level studies. Though many women are dropping out from higher secondary levels to higher studies. More women now pursuing higher studies from their own country or abroad in medical science, engineering, aeronautical science commerce and other social sciences subjects comparative to past.
Just 15- 20 years before Bangladeshi women used to get engaged in traditional job sectors which they used to think suitable for them, for example, serving in govt. offices, teaching in schools or tailoring sitting at home. But now women are engaging in out of the box professions, for example, many women are working in N.G.O’s, driving cars, driving trains, working in garments, working in call centers and working in abroad as a migrant worker and business entrepreneurship.
After the liberation war of Bangladesh, these changes in Bangladeshi societies took place holding hands of two changemakers Sir Fazle Hasan Abed who founded BRAC in 1972 and Professor Muhammad Younus who founded Grameen Bank in 1983. These two NGOs started giving micro-credit in rural areas and along with them other govt sectors and NGO sectors took different initiatives to create social awareness. Women that time after receiving loans tried to create earning sources and that led women to make their position stronger in the family as well as society. Women’s occupation was confined at that time within handicrafts, gardening, and farming. Those aware women tried to make their daughters empowered with education and job. Those women who could receive higher studies degrees are doing jobs in governmental and non-governmental organizations, banks and other formal sectors.
Because of the development of education, economic situation and social change women are engaged in diversified occupations now. The garment sector has opened opportunities for women according to their educational background and skills. Many women are going abroad as a migrant worker in middle east countries. Though women’s car driving in Bangladesh was never restricted but thinking social status and society women were not willing to take it as a profession. BRAC driving school started giving women training and now many women willingly participated in the training and accepted the driving car as a profession and got an appointment in many N.G.O.s. After a long gap of recruitment in Bangladesh Railway when it started again in 2004, one woman got appointed as an Assistant Locomotive Master. The first Bangladeshi woman who took aviation as a profession in 1977. How two Bangladeshi women pilots became an inspiration for Congolese women that was projected in a recently released video of UN named ‘UN in Action’. More women now are willingly joining in armed forces and working as traffic police. Women pilots Apart from those women who couldn’t complete their formal studies further, many educated women came forward as entrepreneurs and started their own business which has created job opportunities for other women. Because of Technological development, many women are using Facebook as an online platform for establishing their business.
Women and children welfare ministry work to create social awareness, to take different initiatives to encourage girls in taking education, enhance the skills of women, to create jobs and other opportunities for women and to bring gender equality and to stop violence against women. In November 2019 Bangladesh has launched the first four years National Action Plan on women, peace, and security as per the resolution of the UN Security Council.
In a society where women are mostly dependents on husbands for financial and other securities, there a radical change took place in Bangladesh. But many girls and women are still lagging behind who are not getting the facility to receive and complete education. Many women are facing discrimination in workplaces especially those who are engaged in informal job sectors and facing different types of domestic violence. How effective steps had taken by both governmental and non-governmental organizations to stop early childhood marriage such types of steps should be taken for empowering women and restrain violence against women.
New South Asian 