Assignment 03
Khulna University
Assignment on
Women Empowerment in Bangladesh
Course Title: Development Journalism
Course No: MCJ 3205
Submitted To:
Md. Uzzal Talukder
Assistant Professor
Mass Communication and Journalism Discipline
Khulna University, Khulna-9208
Submitted By:
Name: Al Mamun
Student ID: 192608
BSS in 3rd Year, 2nd Term
Mass Communication and Journalism Discipline
Khulna University, Khulna-9208
“To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves”. ― Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru (1st PM of India)
Women empowerment has become one of the much-talked issues held in both national and international environment of the years. It is an essential precondition for the removal of poverty. Women empowerment can ensure the salvation and liberty of women in a true sense. It also upholds human rights. Women are half of the world’s population and we can’t succeed when half of us are held back. Women empowerment is an aid to help women to achieve equality or at least reduce the gender gap considerably. Bangladesh achieved remarkable success in gender parity across all parts of society under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. She said,
“We have to work together to create a safer environment for women and girls.”
Concept of Women Empowerment:
The issue of ‘Women Empowerment was revealed for the first time in ‘Women’s role in economic development a famous book written by renowned Danish economist Easter Boserup in 1970. But this concept emerged conspicuously in the mid-1980s.
Women Empowerment:
According to Easter Boserup, “Women empowerment means giving power and authority to the women as though they can exercise their internal knowledge and decision making.”
It refers to empowering women in every sector keeping pace with their male counterparts. It includes participating in social, political, and cultural activities, making decent decisions and economic development, etc.
Empowerment of the Woman and BD:
The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibar Rahman started the process of uplifting women’s status by establishing equal rights for women with men in all spheres of the state and public life as a constitutional obligation.
BD has been working relentlessly to ensure women’s overall development by ensuring their equal and active participation in mainstream socio-economic activities and removing the various impediments to their empowerment.
Constitutional Rights for Women:
Women’s rights have been established in “The Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh” The constitutional provisions in
Article 19 (3): Ensure women’s participation in all spheres of national life.
Article 28(1), 28(2), 28 (3): The state shall not discriminate against any citizen on the ground only religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
Article 29(1), 29(2): Equal opportunity in public employment.
Article 65(2), 65(3): The principle of affirmative action for fifty reserved seats for women representation in the parliament.
Administrative Empowerment of Women:
[Source: The Daily Janakantha, 02 August 2019]
Several of the Ambassadors are women
Women are posted in the Field level Administrative capacities as Deputy Commissioner & Superintendent of Police and Upazila Nirbahi Officer.
Many women are appointed in the Armed Forces (Army, Navy & Air Force), police forces, and different cadre services.
Vice Chancellor of Jahangir Nagar University and Pro-Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University are women.
Human Rights Commission consists of a Chairman, a regular member, and five women honorary members.
Information Commission consists of three members of which one is women.
10% quota for Gazetted and 15% for the non-Gazetted post are reserved for women.
60% women quota is reserved for Primary School Teachers
Political Empowerment of Women:
[Source: Ministry of Public Administration]
1/3 of the seats of union Parishad, municipality, and City Corporation are kept reserved for women.
Political parties must reserve at least 33% of positions on all committees for women as per law.
A prominent female politician has been elected as Mayor of the Narayanganj City Corporation.
Economic Empowerment of Women:
2019-20 fiscal year Govt has allotted 100 crores in the women Entrepreneur sector and another 25 crores in Women development special fund.
4 million women are contributing a lot to the Readymade Garments (RMG) sector.
Ministry of Labor and Employment trained 10,800 female garment workers.
Bangladesh Bank is providing collateral-freeoan up to Tk. 2.5 million for women entrepreneurs.
Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) disbursed Tk 3939 crore to the women entrepreneurs.
“Women’s economic empowerment relates to the enhancement of women’s capacity for
strategic choice and agency in the sphere of the economy and to the possibilities this opens up
for change in other spheres of their lives” (Kabeer 2009: 7). According to World Bank Group
(2019), women’s economic empowerment plays a role in poverty reduction as women invest
their earnings for their children and community. Pacific Community (2017) identified two
dimensions of economic empowerment: resources and agency. It defines resources as tangible
assets and intangible assets including skills, networks, knowledge, expertise, and social capital.
Her agency is defined as the changes in people’s perception of women and women’s
actions. Women’s economic empowerment is also important for achieving Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Women’s economic empowerment means
access to income and assets while it is also important that women should have control over
their income and assets. Hunt & Samman (2016: 11) found 10 factors that either enable or
constrain the economic empowerment of women. Below are presented those direct and underlying factors which influence women’s empowerment.
Factors Influencing Women’s Empowerment
World Bank Group (2019) identified four issues of women’s economic empowerment: labor force participation, ownership, and control over assets, use of assets, and entrepreneurial opportunities. UNHLP (2016) identified seven primary drivers of women’s economic empowerment. These seven drivers are important for the transformation expected in women.
Changing Scenario of Women’s Economic Empowerment in Bangladesh.
Meher Afroze, MP, Minister of State for Women and Children Affairs speaking at the General Debate of the 62nd Commission on Status of Women (CSW) on 21 March 2018 at UNHQs, New York
Seven Factors of Women’s Economic Empowerment
Source: UNHLP, 2019
https://hlp-wee.unwomen.org/en/about/seven-drivers
From the wealth and diversity of experience around the world, the High-Level Panel identified seven primary drivers of transformation. For each of these, the Panel highlights concrete actions and interventions that have demonstrated impact in reducing gender gaps or suggest valuable potential based on experience and analysis to date.
The High-Level Panel’s first report called on all stakeholders to take action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to realize the benefits of women’s economic empowerment. The second report identified the top priority recommendations under each of the seven drivers of change and for the broader enabling environment.
Women’s economic empowerment is important for human development. It helps to develop
human capital and human capabilities play role in poverty reduction and bringing balanced
growth to the country (Kabeer, 2009). Ramon (2014: 31) recommended four activities to
enhance women’s economic empowerment: to ease access to credit, to invest in education (on
a gender basis), to raise awareness of gender issues in the labor force through campaigns, and to
raise awareness in social related institutions. While Hunt & Samman (2016) identified four
underlying factors that affect women’s economic empowerment: labor market
characteristics; fiscal policy; legal, regulatory & policy framework; gender norms &
discriminatory social norms. Various authors suggest several factors/ drivers/ activities
that promote women’s economic empowerment.
Employment and Education:
Female worker:
2010: 16.2 Million
2021: 19.6 Million
Primary School Admission:
2008: 57 %
2021: 96.4%
2.7 million girls receiving a stipends
50% quota has been reserved for girls in Jahangirnagar University.
Labor force, female (% of the total labor force) in Bangladesh was reported at 30.4 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Bangladesh - Labor force, female - actual values, historical data, forecasts, and projections were sourced from the World Bank in August of 2022.
Global Gender Gap Index-2022:
Bangladesh ranked 71st out of 146 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index 2022 with a score of 0.714, the WEF said on Thursday.
Globally, Iceland topped the list on gender equality, with a score of 0.908, while Afghanistan, where the Taliban have taken power once again, came in at the bottom with 0.435.
[Source: WEF’s Global Gender Gap Report-2022]
A screenshot showing the South Asia region ranging from the World Economic Forum's Gender Gap Index 2022 report.
The study breaks down the overall gender parity of a country into four subindexes – economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment.
Bangladesh scored poorly in economic participation – ranking 141, better than only Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan – but ranked ninth overall in terms of political participation. It came in at 123rd on educational attainment and 129th on health and survival.
Women line up to vote in the Camellia City Corporation elections on Jul 15, 2022.
[https://bdnews24.com/bangladesh/bangladesh-tops-south-asia-ranking-on-gender-gap-index#:~:text=The%20gender%20gap%20in%20Bangladesh,by%20the%20World%20Economic%20Forum.&text=Bangladesh%20ranked%2071st%20out%20of,the%20WEF%20said%20on%20Thursday.]
Life Skill Training for Women Development:
• Women receive sewing, computer, and beautification training at Shaheed Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Training Academy, Gazipur.
• Women receive horticulture, fisheries, livestock, etc. integrated trades training for 3 months in Village Women Agriculture Training Centre, Savar.
• Food processing, beautification, embroidery, sewing, mobile phone servicing, nursery/kitchen gardening, etc. are taught in 64 district offices of the DWA.
• In 34 districts 3 months long training is organized for the women on Information Technology.
• Residential training for women on self-employment at Begum Rokeya Training Center, Mymensingh, Dinajpur, and Bagerhat Training Centre.
• Non-residential training programs are organized at 136 Upazila offices of the Department of Women Affairs for distressed women.
• Vocational training on tailoring, block, and embroidery training is organized at the National Training and Development Academy, DWA.
• Basic computer and ICT training is being imparted in 64 District Computer
Acts and Policies:
Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, 2000.
Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act, 2010.
Acid Crime Prevention (Amended) Act, 2010.
National Children Policy 2011.
National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children 2013 2025.
Children Act, 2013.
Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Act, 2014.
Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2017
Dowry Prohibition Act, 2018.
Sports and Women:
• Women Cricket Team achieved One Day Status in 2011.
• Women Cricket Team achieved Silver Medal in Asian Games 2011.
• Mabia Akhter earns a gold medal in women's weightlifting in the South Asian Games 2016.
• Swimmer Mahfuza Khatun Shila won the second gold medal in the 12th South Asian Games 2016.
• Women’s Football Team won the Asian Football Confederation under 14 Regional Championship 2016.
• Nishat Mazumder and Wasfia Nazreen the two prominent women climbed the highest peak of the Mount Everest
International Recognition and Worth Mentioning Awards of Bangladesh
Due to astonishing progress made by BD in empowering women, especially under the leadership of PM Sheikh Hasina, our country has been recognized globally. Such as------
Conclusion:
Women’s economic empowerment is necessary for the overall development of the country. A
A nation cannot achieve prosperity if half of its population is disempowered. The present
cultural and social environment of Bangladesh tends to ignore the unpaid household
work of women. Factors like education, child marriage prevention, women’s involvement
in formal & informal occupations, women’s entrepreneurship, and access to resources are helping
women to achieve economic empowerment. Bangladesh Government should work on these
factors along with improving the legal and regulatory framework of Bangladesh
In the present decade, BD has made remarkable progress in women’s empowerment. The women of BD moving ahead fast following the path of Begum Rokeya, the pioneer of the women’s awakening of BD. Now, it’s time to change the outlook on women. Under the visionary leadership of PM Sheikh Hasina, BD has come a long way in achieving the 2030 agenda of gender equality for SDG.
“There is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women.”
― Kofi Annan (Ex secretary general of UN)
References
.
Eck R. 2014, Economic Empowerment of Rural women in Bangladesh, thesis,
Technische_Universitaet_Dortmund: Dortmund.
Hunt, A. & Samman, E. 2016, Women’s Economic Empowerment: Navigating Enablers and
Constraints, Research Report, London: Overseas Development Institute.
Hunt, J. & Kasynathan, N. 2001. Pathways to Empowerment Reflections on Microfinance and
Transformation in Gender Relations in South Asia, Gender and Development, 9(1): 42-52.17
Changing Scenario of Women’s Economic Empowerment in Bangladesh
Kabeer, N. 2009, Women’s Economic Empowerment: Key Issues and Policy Options,
Sweden: Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Khatun, F., Khan, T., Pervin, S., & Jahan, H. 2015, Estimating Women’s Contribution to the
Economy: The Case of Bangladesh, Dhaka: Center for Policy Dialogue.
Mahmood A. 2004, Political Empowerment of Women: A Comparative Study of South Asian
Countries, Pakistan Vision, 10(1): 151-166.
Nawaz, F. 2010, Nexus between Women Entrepreneurship Development and Empowerment:
Bangladesh Context, Nepalese Journal of Public Policy and Governance, xxvi (3): 62-74.
Rahman, M. & Al-Hassan, M. 2019, Women in Bangladesh Labour Market: Determinants of
Participation, Gender Wage Gap and Returns to Schooling, Working paper 124, Dhaka: CPD.
Reza, M. & Yasmin, N. 2019, Progressive Women Empowerment Scenario of Bangladesh,
International Journal of Technical Research & Science, IV (iii): 48-55.
Schuler, S. & Rottach, E. 2010, Women’s Empowerment across Generations in Bangladesh, J
Dev Stud. 46(3): 379-396.
Shahid, S., Khatoon, F. & Khan, S. 2016, Rural Women Empowerment through
Entrepreneurship: A Study on Two Districts, International Journal of SME Development, 2:
119-140.
SME Foundation, 2019, Women Entrepreneurs in SMEs: Bangladesh Perspective 2017,
Dhaka: SME Foundation.
The Daily Star, 2019, Bangladesh becoming Role Model in Women’s Empowerment, The
Daily Star, 12 March 2019.
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