According to a study by the Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust (BLAST), the court environment in the country is not friendly for women as they face sexual harassment and gender bias, as well as a lack of adequate female washrooms, day-care centers and breast feeding corners.
BLAST conducted the study in Dhaka, Khulna and Kushtia from April 2017 to May 2018.
The research findings were shared at a BLAST-arranged national conference held at the CIRDAP auditorium in Dhaka on Tuesday.
The study said that most female court professionals face sexual harassment, stalking, eave teasing and other related offenses.
In 2009, the High Court issued a guideline about sexual harassment in the workplace and educational institutions. However, the guideline is yet to be implemented in the court environment.
The study said that a complaint desk for victims of harassment was yet to be established, leaving women more vulnerable to such abuse.
It also found a lack of separate washrooms, common rooms or waiting areas for women on court compounds.
Furthermore, the study says that gender bias prevails in the court as male lawyers are preferred by clients for complex cases due to the stereotype that women cannot handle difficult tasks.
A wage gap between male and female lawyers was also identified by the study, which further said that women received less support from their families for pursuing a career in law.
Dr Fostina Perera, a human rights and development specialist, said both court environment and the mindset of those in it needed to be changed in order to create a professional, woman friendly atmosphere.
Dr Shahnaz Huda, a professor at the Department of Law of Dhaka University, said female professionals have to balance both family life and work, and would be able concentrate more on the workplace if men took equal responsibility in caring for children.
Chief guest Justice Naima Haider, a judge at the High Court Division of the Bangladesh Supreme Court, said: "In my own life I had to face gender discrimination and stereotypes from both family and at the workplace, but I tried to sensitise them and now I am here".
She asked everyone to be aware and gender sensitive to change the situation.
Md Golam Kibria, director of the Judicial Administration Training Institute, Dr Johrul Islam, head of the Law Department at Islami University in Kushtia, and ZI Khan Panna, member of the Board of Trusties of BLAST, also addressed the programme.