Women on the path of empowerment

By challenging the patriarchal norms, stereotypes and misogynist attitudes,women of Bangladesh have emerged as indomitable strength. Although their path has plenty of pitfalls, they have been breaking down thousands of barriers, crossing storms, climbing mountains of prohibition, fighting humiliation, and deprivation in their everyday life.

During the past fifty years since our independence, women have largely established themselves in the mainstream by throwing away the badge of the marginalized, helpless, uneducated and dependent. In their own strength, the strong women have built themselves in a new way by crossing the boundaries put in front of them, provingtheir ability in various fields. Now we can see with our own eyes a huge positive change in the social, economic and political position of women in Bangladesh. Of course, this change is not the only achievement of anyone. Rather, this progress has been made possible by the combined efforts of private, government and non-government enterprises. It’s always very nice to hear that many top positions in the state are now held by women, but many people know that this is not the whole truth. Because, on the other side of this happiness, there are some unpleasant truths.

The empowerment of women does not mean that only a few people are sitting in the top positions.Empowerment is actually an overall process and in that process, women have the opportunity to plan and make decisions in all areas of their lives, including education, health, and career choices, also can establish self-control and equal rights. But the reality is that the freedom to make one's own decisions in the lives of women in Bangladesh is still very limited even in 2022. Many qualified women still do not get the chance to form their opinion if they want to, but face severe obstacles from family, society and the state. The women of Bangladesh have had to move forward by overcoming this obstacle. 

Reports say, Bangladesh ranks 7th in the world in terms of political empowerment, noting that an increasing number of women are joining the workforce.It is known that about 70 per cent of healthcare workers are women and they are at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. More than 80 percent of ready-made garment workers are women and the majority in the informal economy.

It is true that according to statistics, Bangladeshi women are in a better position than many other countries in South Asia. The number of reserved seats for women in the National Parliament has been increased to 50 at present. There are 72 women MPs, including 22 reserved seats. There are also 12,000 women elected representatives at the local government level. However, overall women's participation in politics is not pleasant due to class and economic inequality.Women in this country are still far from political power and policy making. It is recognized that full development of women is not possible without political power. In order to sustain the existence of women in society and politics, there is no alternative but to participate in political power to get the right to speak. In a democracy, it is important to establish equal rights for both men and women as citizens. In terms of numbers, the gender ratio in Bangladesh is now nearly equal.So, there is no room for the old strategy or mentality of keeping women away from politics as subordinates.

Other areas of empowerment, such as administration, law enforcement and the judiciary, have also seen a significant increase in women's participation over the past 50 years. Thousands of women army and police officers have served in UN peacekeeping operations. Women hold important positions such as judges, secretaries, deputy governors, ambassadors, army, navy, air force, deputy commissioners, superintendents of police and officers in charge of police stations. Through their skills, qualifications and hard work, these women have changed their conditions. But all this is a picture on the back of a coin. On the other side of the coin is a picture of extreme neglect of women, boundless discrimination and horrific torture. Equal rights of women have not yet been established in the country on the question of property inheritance. There is still gender inequality in the society, violence against women is also on the rise. Women are still insecure on the road, on public transport, in the office and even at home.

The age-old patriarchal view of society still reigns supreme. This has led to an increase in cases of domestic violence, murder, rape, kidnapping and sexual harassment. Due to the lack of independent decision-making power among women, the tendency to marry off girls at an early age on the pretext of insecurity is also on the rise. Meanwhile, as a result of child marriage, women's education and life has been disrupted and their participation in the workplace has been hampered. Women's reproductive health is under threat. A vicious cycle of maternal mortality, neonatal death, malnutrition and poverty has been created. Achieving gender equality is also closely linked with women's empowerment. Without women's active participation in education, health and economic activities, it is not possible to achieve the desired level of women's empowerment. Physical and psychological abuse prevents women from moving forward and hinders their empowerment.

Women's empowerment is not only necessary for women, it is necessary for a prosperous and happy society and state. Overall development is never possible leaving behind half the population of the country. Therefore, proper participation of women in any decision and plan at the policy-making level should be ensured.