Among many other features of the Monsoon Revolution 2024, one very prominent was the participation of our young women and female students.
When many of their male counterparts – particularly those in leadership positions – were either forcefully picked up by the now fallen regime’s security apparatus or had to go in hideouts – the young women of Gen Z took it upon themselves to come out on the streets in big numbers.
In fact, women’s participation – both in the capacity of movement organizers and its foot soldiers – expedited the July Uprising to come to fruition.
Their participation inspired other still indecisive youths – both male and female – to muster courage in joining the movement, thereby giving this nation the July 36.
Now that we’ve long got over with the misrule of many years, there is a high aspiration to build a society free from gender-based discrimination – where the principle of inclusivity isn’t compromised on one pretext or the other.
But on this eve of the International Women’s Day, we are shocked and saddened at the way our sisters and mothers have to endure harassment outdoors.
Nobody expects in a post-July Revolution Bangladesh that women in our society would have to remain answerable for their choice of attires.
We’ve just witnessed utterly disturbing resurgence of moral policing. Some people are out on the streets prowling around in search of prey (read women) – using their own hypocritical ideas of morality to control women’s freedom of movement and civil liberties.
They’re audaciously questioning and admonishing the women in our society for their choice of clothing.
Instead of restraining their male gaze, some people appear to be taking it upon themselves to what appears as attempts to restrain women from moving freely outdoors.
Women have come a long way in this country to make room for themselves – to work shoulder to shoulder with their male counterpart, contribute to the national economy and in nation building.
Starting from empowerment through microcredit to employment through readymade garments industry – many things had their contributions in mainstreaming women in Bangladesh.
Subsequent governments’ tremendous initiatives to ensure free and compulsory girls’ education, investments made on their health and adolescence – all contributed giving women in the society a chance to be integrated in national politics, business, and almost every other sphere of economic activities.
Women constitute half of the country’s population. We simply can’t think of advancing our country leaving them behind.
We’ve got miles to go before we can claim that we are giving our women an equal footing.
In tertiary level of education, there is still one girl against two boys enrolled at universities.
While the number of women in government jobs is increasing, they still represent less than 30% of the total government workforce. In almost all cases, the higher the position, the fewer the number of women.
If we are to help lift the other half of this country to the level of privilege that we enjoy as males in the society, we need to work vigorously. It won’t happen automatically.
First and foremost, we have to create a congenial environment that ensures the basic minimum – women’s freedom to move freely both indoors and outdoors and their liberty to dress as they like.
Women’s and girls’ rights are facing unprecedented growing threats, from higher levels of discrimination to weaker legal protections.
In Bangladesh, we need to rebuild and reorient institutions that support and protect women.
Police as one institution needs to be reoriented so that the force understands its role. It’s an institution to protect women in distress not, to give in to the pressures of misogynists.
Our educational institutions, our legal systems – all have to be supportive to the cause of women’s freedom.
I’m quoting António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General as he says:
“When women and girls can rise, we all thrive. Yet, globally, women’s human rights are under attack. Instead of mainstreaming equal rights, we’re seeing the mainstreaming of misogyny.
Together, we must stand firm in making human rights, equality and empowerment a reality for all women and girls, for everyone, everywhere.”
As Bangladesh stands on the crossroads to democratic transition now, probably the best bet for its transitional government today to rally behind women and their causes.
When some members of our womenfolk are being harassed on the streets, there should be
a public display from the government of Professor Muhammad Yunus rendering explicit support unequivocally for freedom of women in Bangladesh, who have given us so much over the years.