The latest Household Income and Expenditure Survey paints a concerning picture of receding female decision-making power within Bangladeshi families over the past decade.
The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics defines the "head of household" as the individual making key decisions related to household activities.
The Household Income and Expenditure Survey shows a steady decline in female-headed households: from 13.9 per cent in 2010 to 13.1 per cent in 2016 and 12.6 per cent in 2022.
This trend is particularly worrying in rural areas, where the percentage of female-headed households dropped from 14.9 per cent in 2020 to 12.7 per cent in 2022.
Bangladesh now has one of the lowest percentages of female-headed households in South Asia, trailing Pakistan (12.5 per cent), India (17.5 per cent), Sri Lanka (25 per cent) and Nepal (31.3 per cent), according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The decline marks a worrying reversal of the upward trajectory in female decision-making observed in Bangladesh from the 1990s to the 2010s.
Dr Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the private think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), attributed the decline to several factors.
For the female decision-making dip, she pointed out a reduction in employment opportunities in garments and other industries, increased dropout rates from education, a surge in poverty, climate-induced disasters and others.
The country's growing labour force has also seen a rise in the number of females.
Fahmida suggested that limited decision-making roles for females in certain job types may be a factor.
The closure of factories and the emergence of automated ones have led to a gradual decline in female employment, with no other industry absorbing the vast workforce.
Referring to HIES 2022, she highlighted a decline in the number of females engaged in independent businesses or working in restaurants and hotels.
Jobs in medium and large enterprises have shrunk from 14 per cent in 2016 to 2.0 per cent.
The increase in female participation in agriculture, although noteworthy, comes with the challenge of being one of the least-paid sectors in the country.
Taslima Akhter, coordinator of the Garments Sramik Sangathan, highlighted a significant decline in the number of female workers in the garment industry, dropping from 80 per cent in the 1990s to 50 per cent in 2023.
The closure of key government-run industries over the past two and a half decades, including Adamji and other jute and textile mills, has limited options for both men and women in the industrial sector.
The alarming rate of girls dropping out of education after SSC during the pandemic is a concerning issue.
Furthermore, the government's decision to ease the minimum marriage age to 16 years (under certain conditions) has led to an increase in early marriages, particularly in rural poor families.
Taslima Akhter expressed disappointment with women's organisations working on gender issues, noting their apparent silence on these critical matters.
Educationist Rasheda K Chowdhury said in the last five years, the ratio of male to female students in secondary and higher secondary examinations has been nearly equal in the country.
However, in universities, the proportion of females is only 35-36 per cent.
Increasing female student participation is achievable through effective government plans, with a particular emphasis on vocational education to align women with job opportunities matching their education.
Providing stipends for higher education will enhance affordability, generating greater interest in educating daughters, she said.
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