Women of Bangladesh: where are they?

Nasim Firdaus
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Wahid Adnan/drik News

"I won against Pakistan but lost to poverty” said Kakat Heninchita. Few Bangladeshis have heard of this valiant freedom fighter, known to the villagers as Kakon Bibi. Carrying ammunition to the Mukti Bahini in a 'kolar bhela' this poor Khashya woman from Shunamganj helped blow up a bridge in 1971. She fought with the Mukti Bahini in twenty battles and also served as an informer against the Pakistani forces risking her life and that of her family as all freedom fighters did. Kakon Bibi is, however, one of the many lost faces of women in the freedom struggle of this country.

Historical role in liberating the country
1971 was a watershed year for Bangladesh. There were a few other watershed years before this: 1947, 1948, 1952, 1967 and 1970. In the struggles of 1947 onwards women of Bengal played a significant role that helped shape the landscape of today's Bangladesh. In 1947 women like Begum Abdur Rahim, Begum Rashid, Syeda Lutfunnesa Khatun, and many others campaigned relentlessly, going from house to house behind purdah, urging women to vote in the referendum to bring Sylhet to East Pakistan. In 1948 women joined the protest against the declaration of Urdu as the state language of Pakistan. In 1952 women like Momtaz Begum, Halima Khatun, Nadera Begum and Novera Ahmed were at the forefront of the language movement. In 1955 twenty-two girl protesters were arrested along with 200 men for breaking law and order in educational institutions. 1961 saw greater involvement of women participating in protest marches and rallies pushing forward the demand for Bangla as the state language of East Pakistan. By 1967 the movement -- that saw women like Rowshan Ara Firoz, Maleka Begum, Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury, Mahfuza Rahman, Rafia Akhter Dolly, Moriom Begum, Motia Chowdhury, Ayesha Khanam, Laila Hasna Banu, and others in the forefront - had evolved significantly to a demand for greater autonomy for East Pakistan. Of course 1971 saw many women, like Kakon Bibi, Taramon Bibi and others in the role of Muktijoddha taking up arms and fighting shoulder to shoulder with men as thousands provided ancillary support to the Mukti Bahini. No single group of people can claim credit for liberating this country alone. It was an effort that was all-encompassing; every Bangladeshi was involved in some manner or another. Yet, the aspiration of women to be recognised, not only as freedom fighters but as equal citizens with equal rights and privileges and with hopes for a better and more prosperous future, remains an unfulfilled dream.

Contribution in post war Bangladesh
Remaining within the confines of social, cultural, religious and autocratic occupation, women of this country have, over the last four decades, made history on many fronts. In the early days, handicrafts made by Bangladeshi women and sold by charitable organizations all over the world were a major source of income for many homes. Microcredit projects took shape in the hands of these women. Grassroots women have shown the path to economic development of this country as they continue to tread along in droves to work in the garment and other export-oriented industries. Needlework of Bangladeshi women coveted in faraway lands helps capture new markets.

Women have been not only the engine of economic growth that hovers around 6 percent but also the force behind international recognition that has made Bangladesh proud. One has only to look at Grameen and BRAC to acknowledge the strength that women have provided to the nation as a whole. Today brave women of Bangladesh have joined UN peace keeping forces worldwide. While many women work outside of the country in different professions and remit money to their families, millions work in the fields and do domestic chores without being recognised as partners in development. Indeed, studies have repeatedly shown that there is a correlation between increased investment in women and economic prosperity, political stability and reduction of corruption, as noted by US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues Melanne Verveer at the anniversary celebrations of the Bangladesh Alliance for Women Leadership.

Mainstreaming women in development has been a buzzword for too long; it deserves a lot more attention than it has received so far. Women, in their quest to keep peace, remain largely silent. Alas, peace eludes them too. Violence against women, particularly domestic violence, is rampant and growing. So are various other forms of harassment at educational institutions and workplaces; on roads and in shopping malls; in hospitals and at bus stops.

Women, whose contribution to the economy remains under-evaluated and grossly under- valued despite a great deal being said, remain faceless and nameless. On the other hand there are innumerable ways in which they are subject to discrimination. Surely this nation has a debt to repay. That debt can be paid through recognition that women are different than men, that they have special needs and that unless these basic and simple needs are specifically acknowledged women cannot be equal citizens in this country. Recognition is a simple eleven letter word that eludes women of Bangladesh! In a recent television interview Sharukh Khan, when asked what would be 'his next challenge' after doing so many things in life, said he looked forward to “building a million toilets for women across India!”

Women in elections
Women voted in large numbers in the December 1970 general elections, the last held under the Pakistani flag. In that election the Awami League won 162 seats out of 300 with 74.9 percent of the votes cast. Women played a significant role in achieving that result. The first general elections of the newly independent Bangladesh were held on 7th March 1973. Unfortunately, no separate record of the number of women voters for elections in 1970 and 1973 is available on record. From 1979 onwards, records show, women have not lagged behind in voting. In fact in the last election nearly eighty percent of the registered women voters cast their vote, and more than fifty percent of the total voters were women.

The first Constitution of 1972 reserved 15 seats for women for ten years and the first time women were elected to the reserved seats was on 5th April 1973. However, seven women were seated in the first Parliament without having reserved seats. In 1978 the number of reserved seats was raised to 30 and the period extended by another five years, from the day of the promulgation of the Constitution. The Constitution was amended in 1990 when 30 reserved seats were once again incorporated for ten years. The reserved seat quota was raised to 45 at the very end of the term of the last government which failed to seat women in the reserved seats during its tenure.

Yet, women of Bangladesh have not achieved what they deserved and hoped to achieve after liberation: liberation of women from economic, political, and social domination and their placement alongside men in the national decision-making apparatus on an equal footing. Allocation of reserved seats by the Constitution has further marginalised women's participation in decision making. A general trend to not nominate women for direct elections from 1970 to 2001 could perhaps be directly attributed to the reservation of seats. Although women have been voting from the very beginning, their representation in the parliament and indeed the government has been very small. There are very few women the list of candidates placed in the first, second and third positions in terms of votes received in the election results of 1970, 1973, 979, 1988 and 1991. Yet, number of women voting rose consistently in each of these elections changing the equation dramatically.

The agenda for change
2008 was another watershed year for Bangladesh. The newly constituted Election Commission mandated reservation of 33 percent of party positions for women, later watered down as a commitment for some future date! Defying all odds in 2008 general elections, a record breaking number of eighty-eight women sought nomination. At the end 55 (54+1) women contested. For the first time in the history of this country, twenty women were directly elected and another 45 were elected to the reserved seats. It is also for the first time in the history of Bangladesh that six key posts in the cabinet, including that of the Prime Minister, are being held by women. Furthermore, the Leader of the House, the Deputy Leader of the House, and the Leader of the Opposition are all women. However, this cannot be an end in itself. There is still a long way to go.

Outlook for the future
The 2008 elections showed that if the right women are nominated and if the party apparatus, the Election Commission and public policy support their efforts, women can win with big margins of the vote. Being directly elected gives women a constituency and allows them to be true partners in progress, without which they only play a secondary role. Greater numbers of women in decision-making positions across professions and disciplines, including parliament, government, bureaucracy, business, media, and all other sectors, will help Bangladesh achieve more balanced policies and also help defeat extremist forces in the society. This, surely, is the most opportune moment to take proactive, progressive and affirmative action in favour of women for a better and more equitable future.

Ideally an equitable future would mean having proportional representation of women in decision-making positions at all levels in the parliament, cabinet and the bureaucracy to be set aside for women to be guaranteed by the Constitution. This will not only ensure women of their rights fully, but also do away with the need to revise the Constitution every time there is a demand for accommodating more women. The commendable promise made by the Honourable Prime Minister to raise the number of seats for women in the Parliament to a hundred must come through direct election without which women cannot be truly empowered. These hundred seats should fulfill the demand of reaching 33 percent of women in Parliament by the 2013 elections, and, at the same time, ensure achievement of the higher aim of equitable distribution across the board based on male female ratio of the population by 2021 corresponding with the fiftieth anniversary of Bangladesh must be set at the same time. This ratio can be worked out not only on the basis of past census but more importantly on the basis of a correct and updated voter list.

Government must lead by example and what better way to do so than to take proactive measures that are within their reach? That will be justice and fair play in favour of all citizens of Bangladesh. To achieve a just and fair society without the threat of extremist forces there is a need for cooperation from men of understanding. To reach this perfectly achievable goal, equal opportunity must be ensured through provision of an enabling environment. Investment in women's education, training, and continuous upgrading of skills will need to be accompanied by investments in creating a congenial atmosphere; providing security to girls and women, and enacting enforceable laws that protect women against violence, discrimination, and undue obstacles. Women on their part must take full cognisance of the state's effort to take affirmative action for their benefit and must therefore participate fully in the process. Together we shall win.
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Nasim Firdaus is a former Ambassador.

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