Labour market discrimination pertains to the inequitable and disparate treatment of individuals or groups due to specific attributes, such as race, gender, ethnicity, age, disability, religion, or nationality, within the realm of employment. This bias can manifest during multiple stages of the employment journey, encompassing recruitment, hiring, promotions, wage distribution, and termination.
Regrettably, in Bangladesh, an enduring phenomenon of labour market disparity, particularly concerning madrasa students, remains unaddressed within academic discourse.
A recent study conducted by researchers from Michigan State University and the World Bank has revealed compelling evidence of discrimination against graduates with madrasa backgrounds and individuals donning religious attire, such as a tupi, panjabi, and sporting a beard, among other identifiers.
It is pertinent to observe that madrasa students not only adhere to the same subjects and syllabus as their college counterparts, but also engage in supplementary coursework surpassing that of general stream students at the Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) level. While a typical general stream student undertakes a 1,300-mark HSC exam, an Alia madrasa student is challenged with a more comprehensive 1,700-mark Alim exam encompassing the Quran, Hadith, Arabic, and Fiqh studies.
The research process
In the study, researchers attempted to observe whether job applicants who graduated from Dhaka University faced any form of discrimination based on their gender or religious attire (such as wearing a cap for boys or a hijab for girls) while seeking employment at any institution, whether it be a madrasa or a general school.
To conduct the research, a total of eight fictitious resumes were created, four for males and four for females. All of them had graduated from Dhaka University with similar or closely related academic backgrounds, and their academic results and other qualifications were kept consistent.
Among the four male applicants, two had completed their Alim (a madrasa degree), while the other two had completed their SSC and HSC from general schools. The same applied to the female applicants. In their photos, one individual was presented in religious attire, and the other was presented in general attire, representing both madrasa and general school backgrounds.
The researchers then sent these fictitious resumes to various sectors, including NGOs, media, corporate, and IT companies. Over the course of approximately ten months, they monitored job advertisements published through various media outlets, such as bdjobs.com and Prothom Alo Jobs, and sent the CVs to every job opportunity they found. In total, 3,248 CVs were sent out in response to 406 job advertisements.
The intention behind this process was to observe which employers called the applicants for an interview or written test after the initial shortlisting. For each CV, a phone number and an email address was provided, which two research assistants meticulously monitored throughout the study.
The findings
Graduates with a Dakhil/Alim madrasa background from Dhaka University encounter job market discrimination, despite possessing equivalent qualifications as candidates from general schools.
Madrasa graduates are compelled to apply for at least 40% more job opportunities to receive the same number of interview calls as their counterparts from general schools. For male graduates, this disparity reaches as high as 96%. Additionally, this study revealed that a clean-shaven madrasa graduate needs to apply for 171% more jobs compared to a clean-shaven general school graduate to secure an equal number of interview invitations. Such discrimination is evident across various sectors to varying degrees.
Religious discrimination extends beyond the hijab and encompasses men with beards and tupis, who face even more significant bias than hijab-wearing women.
Within NGOs, hijabs don’t lead to discrimination, but men with beards, tupis, or madrasa backgrounds experience lower likelihood in receiving interview calls. However, the media and corporate sectors exhibit the highest levels of discrimination concerning religious clothing.
In this study, no substantial disparity was observed in the likelihood of receiving interview calls based on gender.
Nevertheless, women displayed a higher probability of being called for NGO positions, whereas men encountered a higher likelihood of facing discrimination within the same sector. This phenomenon is likely a result of the growing awareness of gender discrimination issues in Bangladesh in recent years.
Women demonstrated a higher probability of receiving interview calls for lower-paying jobs and positions involving greater client interaction.
This observation indicates that while gender-based discrimination may be on the decline, women continue to be prioritized for occupations with relatively lower remuneration. In contrast, the study had initially anticipated that women would receive more interview calls for NGO and media jobs. However, the study's findings came as a surprise, as it revealed that women received relatively fewer calls for media jobs. This suggests that, in cases where women and men possess equal qualifications and apply for media positions, the media industry tends to prioritize men over women.
Based on the findings of this study, it is hoped that policymakers in Bangladesh will take decisive actions to eliminate job market discrimination. Specifically, they should consider abolishing the practice of including photographs and SSC/HSC or equivalent degree information in the CVs of university graduates. This measure is essential because such requirements are not mandated anywhere else globally, and the practice of including photographs has already been phased out in many other regions.
By implementing this change, the initial selection process will become more merit-based, reducing discrimination based on high school qualifications or attire. Consequently, only genuinely qualified individuals will be considered for job opportunities, fostering an environment where skilled individuals can actively contribute to the country's economic development. In the long term, Bangladesh stands to benefit from a more inclusive and efficient workforce, yielding positive outcomes for the nation as a whole.
Md Obaidullah has a degree in Public Administration from the University of Barishal, Bangladesh. Presently, he serves as a Research Assistant at the esteemed Centre for Advanced Social Research in Dhaka. He can be reached at buobaidullah@gmail.com. Meherab Hossain is a Political Science graduate from National University, Bangladesh, who has joined the esteemed Youth Policy Forum-YPF as an Associate in the Politics and Governance team. He can be reacehd at meherabhossain7852@gmail.com.