Introduction : Disempowerment of women is a stain on human civilization. Due to low status of women, approximately half of Bangladeshi population is left behind in darkness. Women's access to positions of influence and power is limited; their occupational choices are narrower, and their earnings lower than those of men and they must struggle to reconcile activities outside the home with their traditional role. The experience is mainly rooted in the failure to value women for anything but their reproductive role. Illiteracy, low life expectancy, low rate of labor force participation, no ownership of land higher rate of unemployment, high fertility, mortality and morbidity, form a vicious circle adversely affecting women in Bangladesh.
Concept of empowerment : Although the term empowerment has no fixed definition yet, it is frequently used to describe a process wherein the powerless or disempowered gain a greater share control over resources and decision making. Batliwoala defines empowerment as 'a process througn which women in general and poor women in particular tend to gain control over resources and ideologies.
Present state of empowerment of women in Bangladesh: The position of women in Bangladesh is much lower than that of man. However, women represent a half of the country's human resources and thus a half of its potential.
Their literacy is only 53.7 percent which is 56.9 percent for men and 50.2 percent for women, life expectancy is 66.1 years for men and 68.7 years for women. Excessive mortality among women due to discrimination has resulted in a ratio whereby there are 100.3 men for every 100 women. Nutritional status of women and girls is marked by sharp differences with that of men and boys. Health care for women is often restricted to their reproductive health. Violence against women is alarmingly on the increase. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in a special report in 2009 revealed that death due to unnatural causes is almost three times higher for women than pregnancy related causes. Despite the constitutional mandate, women's visibility in the public service has been negligible. Their participation in institutional development and decision making is also minimal.
Wage differentials between men and women are very high in case of wage employment. Besides, the constitution of Bangladesh provides for formal political equality of men and women. There is no legal barrier to women contesting or voting for any elective office; including that of the head of state. The fifteenth amendment of the constitution reserved 50 seats for women.
Factors behind disempowerment of women in Bangladesh: The factors behind the disempowerment of women are a legion. However, we can drive the major factors into three categories.
(A) Economic
(B) Socio-cultural and religious and
(C) Political factors.
A. Economic factors
1 Dependency on men: It is usual scenario that women are badly needed men for their livelihood. As they have accepted the fate, they show unwillingness to join respective job coming out from the home
They think that they are happier than the outer competitors of theirs(women in servicing).
2. Ownership of land: Women get some inheritor properties like land from father and husband. They are satisfactory what have been kept for their future. So, after getting such blessing, they needn't feel more for their life.
3. Less scope for employment: Women have competed with men in the case of competitive job exams. ln such cases, women have to struggle more from their male counterparts as they came out from
stereotypical cocoons facing lot of social stains. After that, they are not given extra privilege and many companies want male for job. So, fewer number of women dare to compete themselves beside men.
B. Socio-cultural and religious factors
1. Illiteracy: Illiteracy is a social curse for any nation and a large number of illiterate women are victimized of religious misinterpretation (UTRIT). Many families still think that girls are not eligible for acquiring knowledge.
2 Socially ignored : Our society has given much laxity to them. So they (girls) are not sent to schools, Colleges and Universities because it of many families Islamic perspective. But, maintaining pardah girls are allowed to go for education or job sector which they ignore.
3. Cultural apathy : Culture is the part of male and it is the belief of many arrogant people. So, female are kept aloof from many cultural festivals. It is a great blow to women as they have no scope of joining cultural elaboration to learn more about their culture.
4. Pardah : Many parents think women are best for housewives. They should abstain themselves from outdoor activities as they can ignore pardah system in taking part such outdoor activities beside men. So, they (Parents) don't allow their girl to enter such sector. So, they (women) are not getting the opportunity to join job or educational institutions if they(girls) want to do it, they have to rebel against their family. As they are female, it becomes impossible for them. So, they are constantly victimized of social misinterpretation or misunderstanding of pardah.
C. Political factors
1 Indifference of political parties: A large number of women have no courage to join the political party, fearing of social status and political dirty systems. So, they become averse to see themselves as a political pioneer. So, they hardly get opportunity to utter their rights persisting patriarchal society.
2. Limited participation in electoral politics: As women hardly has their wishes to join politics, they are becoming victimized discrimination in society in every step.
3. Intra-household discrimination: Women are considered more inferior to men. If they get any opportunity of job struggling against their nearest one, they have to work more twice than their men counter-parts in house and out of house. After that in husband's family, husband's parents (in-Laws) consider her as a slave in their family and they continue to show their verbal and physical abuses to their daughter-in-law.
Actions needed for empowerment :
To empower the women of Bangladesh, society must recognize the productive and reproductive roles of women. The process of empowerment should be followed by conscious efforts of society which require following steps:
1. The obstacles that deprive women of the benefits of economic development should be removed. Measures should be taken for building women's capacity to be effective partners with their husbands in household decision making and resource allocation.
2. Protection for young girls and unmarried women is a must. The parents and community leaders must have the commitment to improve the reproductive health and counseling services.
3. The attitudes and practices of men regarding women should be changed.
4. Measure should be taken to wipe out barriers (legal and regulatory) for full participation of women in the labor force to enable rural women to gain title to land they farm, and give women accessibility to credit and other monetary assistance for income generating and consumption activities.
5. It is needed to go beyond gender-neutral investments in health and education to address disparities that directly and indirectly affect women.
6. The specified subjects in the curriculum of education system, which are made for women to keep them in 'their own place' should be reconsidered.
7. The data problem that needs immediate alternation to be solved.
Conclusion: Twenty first century is ushering in an era of new hopes and aspirations for the women-folk. The women of Bangladesh can now look forward with pride and hope for having some outstanding and significant moments that have taken place in the last two decades for their all out development. We require both our hands to pray to our creator So, the active cooperation between men and women is a must for real development of a country. In this regard, collective efforts by government, NGOs and international organizations can only accelerate the pace of women development and their empowerment in Bangladesh.
July 22, 2021
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1 Comments
Really women empowerment is necessary in our country
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