Better deal for women in politics needed

The politics of South Asian countries including Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Burma, and Sri Lanka is being increasingly dominated by women. Generally, women have occupied the top positions as Prime Minister or President or are playing prominent roles in the parliaments as well as in the opposition.
Among the South Asian countries, Bangladesh appears to be different although many women have held many top positions in politics. During the last decade, we have seen women being chosen as state and home ministers. Even the post of the Speaker in the national parliament has been given to a woman after the death of President Zillur Rahman. Recently, Raushan Ershad has been made the Leader of the Opposition in the 10th parliament. Thus, three women are in the top positions among the major four political parties. Still we see a remarkable gender gap at national, rural and local level politics in Bangladesh. Even, their high positions in politics do not reflect the whole scenario of women's positions in politics.
Every major political party has a separate front with a view to cheering women to join politics either at national or local level. To enhance their participation in politics, various women's organisations, civil society bodies and all NGOs are very conscious and active in this regard. However, women's participation in politics is not satisfactory.
To strengthen democracy, women's participation in politics at national and local levels is very much required. Men and women have equal rights guaranteed by the Constitution of Bangladesh. Article 10 of the Constitution ensures women's participation in all spheres of national life. Article 65(3) provides for reserved seats for women in the parliament and Article 9 stipulates unique representation of women in local government. In this regard, women's participation at the local level is more potential compared to national level politics.
Women's participation in local level politics has become more effective when the Local Government Act 1997 was enacted. The law was passed a view to keeping the provision of one-third reserved seats for women in urban and rural local governments.  The participation of women in union councils, municipalities and city corporations is considered as a milestone in the context of previous status of women in governance in Bangladesh.
However, women's participation is not effective in a true sense. Usually, elected women members do not enjoy much freedom and power in decision-making process. The male members (e.g. Mayor, Chairman and other elected male members) exercise actual power to take decisions at every step.  
 Although, a significant number of women has joined the local level politics, they are yet to be considered fit in our patriarchal and male-dominated society. They still lag be hind in terms of social acceptance, freedom of movement, access to general public, education and information, and access to non-family group activities. The society does not accept elected women positively and their mobility is restricted. Thus, they are prohibited to raise their voice in the decision-making process.
Even though women's participation in politics at local level is remarkable, the rate of their participation at the national level is very low. Only a few of them represent the electorate at the higher level in major political parties as well as in government. We also see that only a few of them hold posts in central and sub-committees of the Awami League, the BNP and the Jatiya Party respectively. The cultural norms and religious views are mainly responsible for reducing women's participation in politics. Moreover, predominance of males in politics is also another strong reason for reducing women's participation.
Equal participation of women in politics and government is really very crucial for building and sustaining democracy.  It is really difficult to make democracy sustainable if women remain under-represented in the political arena. We should give them proper space to come forward with a view to joining political activities at national as well as local levels. We must change our traditional views for reducing gender gap in Bangladesh politics for better democracy.
The writer is a researcher in Gender and Development Studies, the Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand and Assistant Professor, the Department of Public Administration, University of Rajshahi. Email: [email protected]