By Rita Bhowmick (Dhaka Bureau)
The active participation and leadership of women in politics are prerequisites for establishing a truly democratic and just society. However, current realities suggest that despite having legal frameworks, a lack of implementation and structural discrimination continues to push women backward.
Speakers expressed these concerns last Sunday at a roundtable discussion titled ‘Women’s Equal Rights: Actions to Eliminate Discrimination and Establish Justice,’ organized by the Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS) at the National Press Club in Dhaka.
Analyzing data from the recently held 13th National Parliamentary Elections in Bangladesh, the meeting revealed that the space for women in politics is steadily shrinking.
Shrinking Representation by the Numbers
The statistics presented at the meeting highlight a stark gender gap in governance:
Total Candidates: 2,028
Female Candidates: Only 87
Directly Elected Women: Only 7
Women in the Cabinet: Only 3
Speakers argued that these figures prove Bangladesh is moving backward rather than forward regarding political empowerment. The primary reason cited was the lack of a women-friendly environment within political parties.
Citing data from UN Women, the meeting noted that even in the 21st century, no country has completely eliminated legal discrimination between men and women. Currently, women worldwide enjoy only 64% of the legal rights that men do. At the current pace of progress, speakers warned it would take another 286 years to bridge the gap in legal protection and rights.
Shahnaz Sumi, Director of BNPS, stated that legal recognition alone is not enough to ensure women’s rights; it requires state commitment and the implementation of effective policies. Meanwhile, Dr. Ainun Nahar, a professor at Jahangirnagar University, alleged that the state has focused only on ‘welfare-based’ initiatives for women’s empowerment rather than long-term structural changes. She also identified the lack of state recognition for women’s contributions to the agriculture and fisheries sectors as a major barrier.
Dr. Tania Haque, a professor at Dhaka University, described the culture of impunity regarding violence as a systemic issue. She remarked, ‘We must work on building a gender-sensitive mindset by treating the family as a unit; otherwise, the entire society will suffer.’
Representatives from various organizations and rights activists raised several critical demands during the meeting:
1. Political Reform: Creating a women-friendly environment within political parties and increasing women’s participation in the electoral process.
2. Change in Perspective: Ensuring that gender issues, though included in the educational curriculum, are taught appropriately.
3. Integrated Initiatives: The state, civil society, and the media must work together to build a non-discriminatory and safe society.
4. Rights of Marginalized Women: Formulating special policies considering the multidimensional discrimination faced by rural, indigenous, disabled, and minority women.
The speakers concluded that removing obstacles within the judicial system to address violence and discrimination, and ending the culture of holding women back under the pretext of ‘social norms,’ is now a demand of the times.
