The theme of International Women's Day in 2025 is "Accelerate Action". It highlights the urgency of making faster, more effective progresses towards gender equality. Accelerate Action emphasises the importance of taking immediate and significant steps to achieve gender equality. It calls for increased momentum and urgency in addressing the systemic barriers and biases that women face in personal, social, political, religious and professional spheres and put the brakes on their eventual empowerment.
Accelerate Action is a worldwide call to acknowledge strategies, resources, and activities that positively impact women's advancement and support and their implementation. Major obstacles to gender equality still persist; however, with the precise action and support, positive progress can be attained for women everywhere.
Today Bangladesh is in a very complex situation hanging in the middle of success, progress and persistent challenges. While Bangladesh as a nation is witnessing remarkable progresses in women's participation in various sectors, the journey towards genuine gender equality is still a challenging one to achieve. Therefore, more than ever before, it's essential to move beyond celebratory rhetoric and get involved in a critical assessment of the realities faced by Bangladeshi women.
Women's contribution to RMG sector and beyond: The readymade garment (RMG) industry is and has historically been one of the most female-dominated industries in the world. Bangladesh has made significant advancements in garment manufacturing. In garment industries, the majority of the workforce are women. They are employed in various roles ranging from mere workers to supervisors and managers. Their contribution is integral to the industry's success, driving production, meeting export targets, and sustaining economic growth.
Despite facing challenges such as low wages, long working hours, and limited opportunities for career advancement, women continue to play a vital role in Bangladesh's readymade garment industry, contributing to its global competitiveness. Unfortunately, however, the share of women working in Bangladesh's garment industry decreased over the past decade, with female participation falling to 53 percent in 2023 from 56 percent in 2014, confirms Kazi Iqbal, research director of the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).
Maliha Begum, a garment worker who started working in a garment factory at the age of 15, said, "When I started, the work was incredibly difficult. There all the women and girls were treated badly. They were forced to work into very late hours without pay, they weren't allowed time off and pregnant women were forced to carry heavy items. No one spoke up."
In Bangladesh, the most powerful sector to earn gross foreign currency is still the readymade garments sector, but work environment in most garments factories is sub-standard. Recent incidents at many garments factories provide the proof of miserable conditions they are in.
Gender-based violence: In a study by Bangladesh Labour Foundation (BLF) it investigated the prevalence, causes, and impacts of gender-based violence (GBV) in local RMG factories, highlighting gaps in worker protection and corporate accountability. The study proves GBV against women is extreme, and the working situation is vulnerable in the Keraniganj belt's RMG sector. Highly sexualized vocabulary, pinching, making illicit proposals and bullying of women workers are very common. Most of the female workers are facing sex-based harassment. Besides the female workers are controlled by family members, even though they may be the most potential earning members of the family.
"Women face various social and familial challenges simply because they are women. These issues cannot be resolved overnight. However, creating opportunities for women and fostering a business-friendly environment will motivate many women to venture into business," said Dr. Nazneen Ahmed, Senior Fellow at BIDS. Where traditional gender roles and socio-economic disparities have historically sidelined women, microfinance came as a powerful tool for empowering women entrepreneurs and fostering socio-economic development.
According to the Asia Foundation's Annual Report 2022, 46 per cent of SMEs received loans to expand their business, with 91 per cent reporting increased income. With the help of microfinance, many women have successfully changed their lives through entrepreneurship. In rural regions, for instance, women have established enterprises ranging from small-scale farming to handicrafts, boosting local economies in addition to their families' wages.
In a society where traditional gender norms still dictate women's roles primarily as homemakers and caretakers, microfinance allows women to challenge these norms and assert their agency as entrepreneurs and decision-makers.
Though microfinance has proved significantly potential for empowering women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, it also has its challenges and shortcomings. Over-indebtedness, higher interest rates in comparison to mainstream financial institutions, inadequate investment validation, lack of enough awareness of financial services, regulatory issues. choice of appropriate models are some barriers that hinder the full grasp of microfinance's impact.
Power play of gender and patriarchy: However, the achievements of women often mask the deep-seated inequalities that continue to plague Bangladeshi society. Violence against women, including domestic abuse, sexual harassment, rape and acid attacks, remain pervasive. The report, "Statistics of Violence against Women and Girl Children: September 2024," published that incidents of rape increased from eight to 13, with three of these resulting in the killing of the victim. Gang rape cases also rose, affecting 11 individuals -- five girls and six women -- up from seven cases in the previous month. The total number of victims increased from 147 to 186.
The judicial system, while improving, often struggles to provide timely and effective redresses. Child marriage, despite legal prohibitions, persists, robbing young girls of their education and future opportunities.
In Bangladesh, gender norms are still closely bound up with religious beliefs and cultural practices. Women's empowerment efforts have at times been strongly opposed by conservative groups, often citing religious scripture to defend patriarchal practices.
Thus, this gender and religion relationship is complex and multi-layered. Here, it is crucial to avoid generalisations, as religious interpretations and gender dynamics vary across different communities and social groups in Bangladesh. The situation is constantly evolving, with ongoing debates and social movements advocating gender equality.
In essence, the relationship between gender and religion in Bangladesh is a dynamic interplay of tradition, law, and social change. In most cases, our religious interpretations influence gender roles, particularly concerning women's rights and responsibilities. Although this is a country of majority Muslims, still Bangladesh has significant Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian populations, each having their own religious traditions that impact gender dynamics within those communities.
Gender and politics: Moreover, the relationship between gender equality and politics in Bangladesh presents another complex image, marked by both notable achievements and persistent challenges. Bangladesh has a strong record of female leadership at the highest levels of government, with women having served as Prime Ministers for a significant portion of the country's history. This demonstrates a degree of political empowerment. The presence of a female Speaker in the National Parliament further highlighted this aspect.
The Constitution of Bangladesh includes provisions for reserved seats for women in parliament, aiming to ensure female representation. This is a positive step towards greater political inclusion. While reserved seats exist, the number of women directly elected to general seats remains relatively low. This indicates that barriers to women's participation in mainstream politics persist.
These norms can discourage women from seeking political office and create obstacles to their success. Reports indicate that biases against women in leadership positions are prevalent, with many believing that men are better suited for political roles. Even when women are elected, their ability to effectively participate in decision-making processes can be hindered by various factors, including limited access to resources and support networks.
Bangladesh has made considerable strides in certain areas of political empowerment, but achieving true gender equality in politics requires addressing underlying social and cultural norms.
While celebrating Women's Day 2025, Bangladesh is indeed going through a very difficult time in the context of safety and security of women. As a nation, we need to focus on the following issues:
• Addressing Safety Concerns: Safety concerns refer to any observed hazards or potential risks in the transportation, workplace and on the road that could cause significant harm to the women, company's employees, stakeholders, and property.
• Reinforce Legal Frameworks and Enforcement: Laws against violence against women and child marriage must be strictly enforced, and the justice system must be made more accessible and responsive to women's needs.
• Promoting Economic Empowerment: Beyond RMG sector, women need access to diverse economic opportunities, including skills training, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship support. Ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions is paramount.
• Addressing Social Norms and Attitudes: Deep-rooted patriarchal and religious attitudes that perpetuate gender inequality must be challenged through education, awareness campaigns, and community engagement.
• Investing in Education and Healthcare: Ensuring access to quality education and healthcare for all girls and women is crucial for their wellbeing and empowerment.
• Enhancing Digital Inclusion: Bridging the digital divide and providing women with access to technology and digital literacy skills is essential for their participation in the modern economy and society.
• Strengthening Women's Voices: Creating platforms for women to share their experiences and perspectives is crucial for shaping policy and driving change.
Bangladesh has slipped 40 notches on the World Economic Forum's (WEF) Global Gender Gap Index 2024. Now our country's rank is 99th among 146 economies. However, despite the decline, it continues to lead South Asia in gender equality for the tenth consecutive year. Therefore, Bangladesh can still be an example to the world. The government, civil society organisations, and individuals must work in tandem to create a society where women are not just celebrated for their contributions but are empowered to fully exercise their rights and realise their fullest potentials.
In 2025, on the Women's Day, let us commit to moving beyond symbolic gestures and focusing on tangible actions that will create a more just and equitable future for all women in Bangladesh. Only then we can truly celebrate the spirit of International Women's Day.
The writer is the Chairman, Department of English, Canadian University Bangladesh (CUB)
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