The role of women is undeniable in the continuous development of Bangladesh -- from the highest seat of power to the absolute fundamental levels of our industry, women have played a key role in uplifting our nation to its current economic and social position.
However, as a nation, we still have miles to go before we can claim to be truly egalitarian and one of the biggest barriers to that end is that Bangladesh has yet to fully implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), specifically articles 2 and 16.1c.
CEDAW is an important tool to ensure equality for women as it etches out clear guidelines for eliminating gender-based inequality both socially and politically. Article 2 mandates that signatories declare an intent to enshrine gender equality at a domestic policy level, while article 16.1c requires the state to ensure that the same rights and responsibilities during marriage, and at its dissolution, are extended to both men and women equally.
What exactly are Bangladesh’s reservations when it comes to these two specific provisions?
In order to bring true reform to what have been age-old practices stemming from archaic ideologies, the government must double down on designing necessary policies and laws that not only eliminate the gender wage disparity, but also facilitate the freedom and autonomy that all women deserve. The full implementation of CEDAW would be a great sign of that commitment.
It’s true that our economy has flourished greatly since the participation of women became a mainstream notion, but there are still numerous archaic laws and societal views which limit women from fulfilling their potential as citizens. Such discrimination cannot be eliminated over night, but with the appropriate policy support, they can be phased out over time.
Bangladesh will only reach its full potential when we facilitate our women to be able to do so as well.