Empowering women in Bangladesh  

The dismal picture of gender inequality in Bangladesh, as painted by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), is not backed up by ground realities. The ESCAP has rated Bangladesh as one of the five poor performers in gender inequality. The country's ranking stands at 119th among 157 countries surveyed. The report identifies key policy interventions by examining gender concerns in the areas of food security, agriculture, energy, water, fisheries and forestry. Quoting a UNDP report, the ESCAP report, however, said that at the local level, where communities elect councils, affirmative action such as quotas has led to increased participation of women. In Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, women accounted for 23 per cent, 37 per cent and 19 per cent, respectively, of rural council members as of October 2010, while 10-20 per cent of council members were women in Cambodia, Cook Islands, Thailand and Vietnam.

The ESCAP study has seemingly overlooked gains women in Bangladesh are making in different fields despite a host of constraints. Even international organisations like UNICEF and WHO have recognised large decrease in excess girl mortality in Bangladesh during the past two decades as a result of improved access to clean water, sanitation and waste disposal services, reduction in diarrhoea and other infectious diseases. Reduction in maternal mortality was achieved through improved maternal health care. The forceful voice of women in their households reflects the combined influence of their greater access to economic opportunities, the nature of their social norms, the legal framework and the enforcement of laws, as noted by the World Bank in its World Development Report.

Similarly, development has closed gender gaps in educational enrolment, life expectancy, labour force participation though some gaps still persist, such as unequal access to economic opportunities, low profile at home and in society. Lack of empowerment persists where women and girls face disadvantages. For poor women, gender gaps remain and disparities are even larger when poverty combines with other forms of exclusion, such as remoteness, ethnicity and disability. Decline in fertility that has come with higher incomes helped lower the number of deaths associated with maternal mortality. Bearing fewer children has given women more time to invest in acquiring human capital and to participate in economic activities. Forward-looking parents have responded to expanded employment opportunities by increasing educational investments in their daughters.

In Bangladesh, women's economic empowerment and greater control over resources have also increased investments in children's health, education and nutrition, boosting future economic growth. Increasing share in household income under women's control, either through their own earnings or cash transfers, changes spending patterns benefiting children. Education, employment and 'no to early marriage' prove vital for women's empowerment. If it can improve on these three indicators, Bangladesh can achieve women empowerment. Employment of left-out girls is an important issue to be considered seriously. If employment opportunity can't be created for them, they will be victim of early marriage. So, alternative employment opportunities have to be created for these girls. Skilled education is very important. For the last 10-15 years the government has been banking on garment sector which has employed only four million women. Diversification of employment is needed.