Every year in Bangladesh, girls outperform boys in major public examinations such as the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC).
Yet this consistent academic success has not translated into equal representation in competitive recruitment or workforce participation -- a gap that experts say reflects deeper structural and social barriers.
On International Women’s Day, the contrast between women’s educational achievements and their limited presence in leadership and employment sectors has renewed debate about how Bangladesh can convert female academic success into broader economic and administrative participation.
Falling share in BCS recruitment
Recent data from the Bangladesh Public Service Commission (PSC) suggest that women are gradually losing ground in the Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS), the country’s most competitive gateway to government employment.
According to the PSC’s 2023 annual report, only 421 women were recommended for recruitment in the 43rd BCS, compared with 1,742 men.
Out of 2,163 successful candidates, women accounted for just 19.46%, while men represented 80.54%.
The figure marks a decline from earlier years when women made up roughly a quarter of successful candidates.
In the 41st BCS, whose results were published in 2023, 672 women were among 2,516 recruits, accounting for 26.71% of the total.
In the 38th BCS, whose results were announced in 2020, 593 of the 2,204 recommended candidates were women, representing 26.91%.
Similarly, in the 40th BCS, 511 women were among 1,963 successful candidates, while the remaining 1,452 were men.
Earlier trends show similar patterns.
In 2017, the PSC recommended 2,323 candidates in the 36th BCS, including 609 women (26.22%).
In the 37th BCS, 323 women were among 1,314 successful candidates, representing 24.60%.
Overall, women have accounted for roughly one quarter of BCS recruits across recent examinations -- meaning about three out of every four cadre positions are filled by men.
Former Public Service Commission (PSC) member Professor Delwar Hossain told Dhaka Tribune that the impact of female quota abolition may not yet be fully visible.
“Although the full effects are not yet visible, a major gap in women’s representation in higher levels of administration may emerge in the next 10 to 15 years,” he said.
He noted that women often have to balance academic preparation, competitive exam preparation and family responsibilities simultaneously.
“As a result, many fall behind in highly competitive examinations like the BCS, which require success in three demanding stages -- preliminary, written and viva,” he added.
Nearly half of university students are women
The imbalance in recruitment becomes more striking when compared with women’s presence in higher education.
According to the University Grants Commission (UGC) annual report, Bangladesh’s 163 public and private universities and affiliated institutions currently have about 4.76 million students.
Among them, 2.54 million are men and 2.21 million are women, meaning women account for about 48% of the student population.
Investigations across departments at major public universities -- including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University and Jagannath University -- show that female students frequently dominate top academic positions.
Teachers in many departments say women regularly secure the majority of the top five positions in undergraduate and postgraduate results, reflecting strong academic performance and career aspirations.
Global indicators show persistent gaps
Despite these achievements, Bangladesh still ranks relatively low on several global indicators related to women’s empowerment.
According to The Global Economy’s ranking on female-to-male ratios in tertiary education, Bangladesh stands at 110th globally.
Meanwhile, the country ranks 134th worldwide in women’s empowerment indicators, highlighting persistent challenges despite constitutional guarantees of equality.
Bangladesh’s constitution explicitly recognizes equal rights for women and men.
Article 28(2) states that men and women shall enjoy equal rights in all spheres of the state and public life.
Gender disparities are also visible in science and technology fields.
A recent UNDP study found that women account for only 23.9% of STEM participation in the Asia-Pacific region, below the global average of 29.3%.
Even among those who pursue STEM education, many face difficulty entering related professions.
Girls outperform boys from early education
The pattern of female academic success begins early in the education system.
In the 2025 SSC examinations, 551,077 female students passed compared with 455,477 male students.
The pass rate was 70.67% for girls, significantly higher than 65.11% for boys.
Among the 125,018 students who achieved GPA-5 under nine general education boards, 66,780 were girls and 58,238 were boys.
Similar trends appear in the madrasa system.
In the Dakhil examinations under the Bangladesh Madrasa Education Board, 286,572 students participated and 195,115 passed. Among them were 98,180 girls and 96,935 boys.
The overall pass rate stood at 68.09%, with 70.47% for girls compared with 65.83% for boys.
Workforce participation declining
Despite strong educational outcomes, women remain underrepresented in the workforce.
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the country’s labour force currently stands at 72.28 million, slightly down from 73.21 million the previous year.
The decline has been far sharper among women.
Female participation in the labour force dropped by 780,000, compared with a decrease of 70,000 among men.
In 2023, the labour force included 48.04 million men and 24.24 million women.
The labour force participation rate shows a wide gender gap: 80.13% for men compared with only 39.20% for women.
In 2022, the female participation rate stood at 42.77%, meaning it declined by 3.57 percentage points within two years.
Meanwhile, the number of people outside the labour force has increased to 49.51 million, including 37.6 million women and 11.91 million men.
Within a year, the number of women outside the labour force rose by 1.69 million, compared with 500,000 men.
Among those currently employed, 46.19 million are men, compared with 23.45 million women.
Structural barriers remain
Experts say several structural barriers contribute to women’s limited workforce participation.
Aleya Pervin Leena, head of human resources at an organization, said women remain underrepresented in many workplaces.
“Companies often receive relatively few applications from female candidates, and sometimes those who apply do not meet all the required qualifications,” she said.
She also pointed to workplace infrastructure challenges.
“Many workplaces in Bangladesh are not female-friendly. Even basic facilities like proper toilets are sometimes lacking,” she said.
Leena added that during executive meetings she often finds herself the only woman among 10 to 12 participants.
For many women, family expectations also play a decisive role.
Tahmina Akter Emu, a graduate of a private university, said she left her job after marriage because of family pressure.
“After marriage, many families expect daughters-in-law to focus primarily on household responsibilities,” she said.
Balancing professional duties with family expectations became increasingly difficult, she added, particularly when workplace harassment and unsafe public transportation created additional stress.
Eventually, she chose to leave the workforce.
For policymakers and advocates, the message is clear: Bangladesh has made significant progress in educating girls.
The challenge now lies in ensuring that their academic achievements translate into equal opportunities in employment, leadership and public service.
