Staff Correspondent 

Despite notable progress in education, employment, and local-level political participation, women in Bangladesh remain significantly underrepresented at the national level, raising serious concerns among gender equality advocates.

While Bangladesh had been historically led by female heads of government — including a female Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition — experts argue that such symbolic leadership masks the broader exclusion of women from meaningful political power.

Currently, 50 seats in the Jatiya Sangsad (National Parliament) are reserved for women. However, a 2024 study by Democracy Watch reveals that women secured only 8% of the general parliamentary seats through direct elections, underscoring limited access to political power through open competition. Major political parties, including the Awami League, BNP, and Jatiya Party, have been criticised for marginalising women in nominations, leadership roles, and campaign funding.

At the grassroots level, many women in local government report being undermined by male relatives or party operatives who control their decisions. Female union parishad members often lack the authority to act independently.

“Democracy without women is not democracy at all,” said a statement from Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS), urging political parties to establish minimum representation targets for women in leadership positions.

As the country prepares for its next general election, women’s rights activists are calling for structural reforms to ensure women’s voices are not just seen, but meaningfully heard in policymaking.

On Saturday (July 12), the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad organised a rally and public gathering at the Central Shaheed Minar, demanding direct elections to the reserved seats for women in parliament. Addressing the rally, the organization's president Dr. Fauzia Moslem said, “The struggle for women’s political empowerment has continued since 1972. We are in search of our own identity. Now is the time to ensure our participation in decision-making.”

Structural exclusion within political parties

Despite women's increasing visibility in other sectors, their participation within political party structures remains minimal. A 2024 policy review by the Election Working Group found that women hold less than 10% of decision-making roles in major political parties — including the ruling Awami League, the opposition BNP, and the Jatiya Party.

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“Women are often confined to auxiliary bodies like the Mohila League or Jubo Mohila Dal but are rarely elevated to central leadership,” noted political analyst Dr. Dilara Chowdhury. “This kind of systemic exclusion weakens the foundation of inclusive democracy.”

According to the Representation of the People Order (RPO), political parties were supposed to ensure 33% representation of women at all levels of their committees by 2020. However, most parties remain far from meeting this goal in 2025. The Election Commission is reviewing compliance and may impose stricter measures if progress remains stagnant.

Civil society organizations are urging the Commission to enforce these requirements more robustly across all parties, including religious ones, to ensure equal participation.

Islamic parties continue to exclude women

Islamic political parties in Bangladesh have shown little commitment to women's political empowerment. Despite women’s growing roles in national life, parties such as Jamaat-e-Islami, Islami Andolon Bangladesh, and Khelafat Majlish feature minimal — or no — participation of women in leadership or decision-making.

“Most of these parties maintain either segregated structures or no formal space for women at all,” said Dr. Ali Riaz, Vice Chair of the National Consensus Commission and South Asian politics expert. Jamaat-e-Islami’s women’s wing, Bangladesh Mohila Jamaat, remains largely symbolic and organizationally isolated from the central Majlis-e-Shura. 

Public rallies and political programs by these parties rarely include women as speakers or participants, reflecting deeper ideological and institutional resistance. “They speak of justice but deny women basic political rights,” said rights activist Taslima Akhter.

 Some Islamic leaders defend their position by claiming to assign “separate but equal” roles to women, but critics argue that these roles rarely translate into actual political power.

Forgotten legacy of women in political uprisings

Speaking at a recent public discussion, Samanta Sharmin, senior joint convener of the National Citizen Party (NCP), expressed concern over the erasure of women’s contributions during political uprisings. “We inspired people. We led. But now our role is being forgotten — and that’s why it’s easier to humiliate women on social media today,” she said.

Sharmin stressed the importance of preserving the collective memory of women’s political agency, particularly during the July 2024 uprising. “Women’s participation was not symbolic — it was real, spontaneous, and courageous.”

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She called for the archiving and recognition of women’s roles in moments of national crisis. “When the nation is in danger, it is women who rise. We must never forget that.”

Constitutional equality in state reform

On Monday (July 14), Prof. Ali Riaz, speaking during the 13th day of a second-round dialogue on political reform at the Foreign Service Academy, emphasised the need to institutionalise women’s equality as part of state reconstruction. “We must embed women’s dignity and rights constitutionally and institutionally if we truly wish to rebuild Bangladesh,” he said.

Recalling the role of women in the July 2024 uprising, Prof Riaz said the way the movement gained momentum due to the glorious participation of women can be institutionalised in the context of restructuring the state.

From 1971 to 2025: A legacy of resilience

Women have played pivotal roles throughout Bangladesh’s history — from the Liberation War to the democratic movements of the 1990s, and recent youth-led mobilizations. Figures like Shaheed Dr. Shirin Banu Mitil, Taramon Bibi, and Noorjahan Begum symbolize the historic depth of women’s political courage.

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In later years, leaders like former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia and Sheikh Hasina dominated political narratives. While their rise was often aided by family lineage, their influence reshaped national politics. Others like Ivy Rahman, Matia Chowdhury, and Rasheda K. Chowdhury contributed meaningfully in policy and governance.

At the grassroots level, women have slowly begun to transform local governance by contesting union and upazila elections — often without adequate institutional support — helping build a culture of accountability and inclusivity.

In every movement — from Shahbagh to anti-rape protests — women, especially students, have remained at the frontlines, redefining political activism through both street power and digital tools.

As Bangladesh looks ahead, activists say the next chapter must not only include women but be co-written by them — equally, unapologetically, and visibly.