Women's education and employment

Women's education and employment are among the most vital and widely discussed topics of this century. Bangladesh is not outside this trend. However, there is a significant gap between the percentage of women who receive education and the percentage who participate in employment in the country.

In Bangladesh, the rate of female education has reached its peak over the last two decades. Yet, a large gap remains between women's educational attainment and their participation in the workforce. Student dropouts occur at various educational levels, but nowadays the main dropouts happen after the higher secondary and graduation levels. Various social, religious, situational and personal barriers contribute to this gap. Issues such as child marriage, lack of awareness about education and employment, superstitious beliefs regarding women's work, societal expectations after marriage and child-care responsibilities are significant factors behind this disparity.

For instance, as Bangladeshi society is largely patriarchal, female family members are not always expected to be employed or contribute financially. Women are often seen as the primary managers of households and bear significant responsibilities as mothers. Additionally, some women choose not to seek employment even after completing higher education.

This causes concern because the gap between women's education and employment in Bangladesh remains striking. Even though girls surpass boys in enrollment at some educational stages, their participation in the labour force is disproportionately low-approximately 44.15 per cent, according to 2024 data.

Addressing this gap is essential for the overall development of the country. Effective measures could include creating employment opportunities and safe work environments for women, promoting higher education and skills training, addressing social and cultural barriers, and providing proper career guidance. Policymakers, government, and non-government organisations have a crucial role to play as leaders in society. At the same time, every member of society shares responsibility for addressing these micro and macro issues to increase women's participation in the workforce.

Aysarjo Karmokar

Institute of Social Welfare and Research

University of Dhaka