The evolving role of women in Bangladesh’s political landscape was the focus of a roundtable titled “The Power of Women: From the Uprising to Greater Political Participation,” held in Dhaka on Sunday.
Organized by Dhaka Tribune and supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the event brought together diplomats, politicians, academics, and activists to discuss the barriers women face and their growing influence.
Speakers highlighted the pivotal role women played during the July-August 2024 uprising, emphasizing the need for structural reforms, economic empowerment, and cross-party solidarity to ensure sustained progress.
Håkon Arald Gulbrandsen
Norwegian Ambassador to Bangladesh
"Women's leadership during the uprising was crucial to its success. As Bangladesh approaches its next parliamentary elections, there is clear momentum for women’s participation and leadership. Political participation is essential for societal change, as formal power largely resides in political institutions. The Norwegian experience is that regulations requiring gender balance in political party nominations are necessary to prevent discrimination."
Dr Rounaq Jahan
Political scientist and Distinguished Fellow, Center for Policy Development (CPD)
“Women have been at the forefront of protests since 1952, often leading the charge. The 2024 July Movement saw unprecedented participation, not just from students but also from housewives and women across the country. However, sustaining long-term political engagement remains a challenge, as movement politics tends to attract women due to its issue-based and temporary nature. Despite recent efforts to suppress them, women are actively pushing back and asserting their rights. For the first time, they are collectively identifying as ‘July daughters’ and demanding their rightful share in society.”
Shama Obaed
Organizing Secretary, BNP
“Women from political families are a very common phenomenon, not only in Bangladesh but also in the South Asia region. We have to realize that we also need to open the doors for other women to come in. Politics is challenging for both men and women; to succeed, one must persevere, prove their abilities, and consistently fight for their rights. Sometimes, many of the times, you are fighting with your own people, but still, you keep fighting, and that makes resilience, that makes conviction, that makes dedication to your work and what you stand for.”
Nazifa Jannat
Student Coordinator, Students Against Discrimination, East West University
“I think the challenges are not personal. After this mass uprising, I felt that the political history of Bangladesh was men-eyed. We saw the political narratives through the eyes of the men. The narrative from the side of women is not present. Women lacked a strong presence in the political arena. It’s all about mental construction. It is nothing that is very stuck and we cannot change that.”
Rumeen Farhana
International Affairs Assistant Secretary, BNP
"Politics is thought to be the domain of men only. It’s not very easy for a woman to be there and to fight with their counterparts. Being a woman means being judged every second on appearance, attire, attitude, and nearly everything else. Societal norms prioritize a woman’s responsibility to her family, children, and husband, creating another significant barrier for women aspiring to join politics. Unfortunately, our political parties are not women-friendly. The reserved seats for women in parliament hinder women from getting nominations in general constituencies. I think parties should be ready to nominate female candidates if they are competent and winnable candidates. And there is a good number of women who can directly contest in the national election and win."
Gitanjali Singh
Representative in Bangladesh, UN Women
“Trolling discourages many young women from engaging in politics. Political parties must invest in financing women, as financial support is crucial for their participation. Mentoring and networking across party lines are also essential so that the women feel that there is somebody behind them.”
Zyma Islam
Senior Reporter, Daily Star
“Women who have been at the forefront of demanding change or asserting their rights often face abuse. As important as it is for us to get here together and talk about what we each go through, it’s even more important to have people at the table who do not agree with us. This goes to show the impunity that men in society truly believe that they have, the kind of entitlement that they believe that they have. These are not bots. These are not people hiding behind locked profiles. These are people with real jobs. If I had the time and patience to hunt down every one of these persons and report them to their workplaces, report them to their families, they would be in massive trouble, except I think I have better things to do with my life. ”
Fahmida Khatun
Executive Director, CPD
“Still the political emancipation is not there, and the economic empowerment does not work in isolation. In Bangladesh, the number of women in the labour market is increasing. 37% of women are in the labour force, according to the last survey. Still, much less than 50%. However, most of them are working in the informal sector. They need to be empowered. The wage gap between men and women is still there.”
Amena Mohsin
Professor, Department of International Relations, Dhaka University
“Wealth is important as a pathway in certain sectors, but in real politics, it becomes very difficult for women without strong backing to speak out. So, in the post-July scenario, what is crucial for me and my younger colleagues is whether you believe that it has opened up space for a politics of dialogue. When you see that space, the key difference lies in accommodating other opinions. This is why the politics of location and the politics of information are very important to me. What kind of knowledge do I possess? What knowledge system am I producing? Is it something different, or am I reverting to a system where vicious politics prevail, and people are labeling one another?”
Lailafur Yasmine
Professor, Department of International Relations, Dhaka University
"Cultural norms continue to limit women, with many women themselves often reinforcing these ideas and passing them down through generations. I am also working on fostering female student leadership and have spoken with some students who have directly participated. Unfortunately, 90 to 95% of them say they do not want leadership positions; they would prefer to work in any other capacity, except as the leader. The moment you become a leader here, you are targeted."
Navine Murshid
Professor of Political Science, North South University
"There is a need for internal democracy within political parties. The recent protests were inspiring, with women reclaiming the streets and standing up to misogyny and violence. However, we need to bring working-class women to the forefront. Middle-class women can protest on the streets because garment workers have paved the way through their own struggles. Many of these women’s organizations are elite women's organizations. The type of feminism we see today is elite feminism, which does not truly represent the working class. Any women's movement, regardless of its form, must center the struggles of the working class and place them at the forefront."
Sylvana Q Sinha
CEO, Praava Health
“I believe that [economic independence and building wealth] is a clear path to political power. If we can achieve that, we’ll no longer need the ‘boro bhai’ to endorse us. As an employer, ensuring that we’re focused on gender parity within the organization is very challenging. Female employees often do not get paid as much as their male counterparts. I think there are many levels of this challenge, but these types of conversations are critical to help us move the dialogue forward.”
Prapti Taposhi
Student, Jahangirnagar University
"I believe these roundtable discussions will be of no use if you cannot ask the right questions to the right people or in the right places. No one has the courage to address the elephant in the room because everyone wants to stay in the good graces of the advisers. So, I would say the situation has not changed much. We know that there are many feminist advisers in the cabinet, but these advisers are not strong enough to openly identify as feminists in public. They do not acknowledge themselves as feminists. How sad and disappointing this is for women like us."
Dr Sazzad Siddiqui
Associate Professor, Department of Peace and Conflict Studies, Dhaka University
"If we judge by the current standards, the education level is not satisfactory. I must say that if we want to move forward together, we cannot do so without uplifting the male portion of the population as well. It will not work otherwise. One commitment should be that we move forward collectively and coordinate our efforts in a structured manner. This education system will not empower any citizen. It does not grant women their rights, and even men will not receive the justice they deserve under the current system."
Zonayed Saki
Chief Coordinator, Ganosamhati Andolan
"Those occupying the political space aim to erase the role of women in the July uprising. Women’s activism within political parties is challenging because it goes against a populist mindset. We need to remove these barriers. Change is necessary. Society will not change without women’s participation in politics. This is a broad and comprehensive issue."
Alisha Prodhan
Influencer
"Bangladesh is now on the map of where we should be because we have come so far in terms of women’s empowerment. Of course, we have our challenges and many more hurdles to overcome. But it saddens me that we are once again discussing how women should dress, where they should go, or even whether they are allowed to work. Students and garment workers should be taught self-defence as an immediate solution to address safety concerns.”
Ayesha Kabir
Head of English Web, Prothom Alo
"It’s high time to tell people not to relegate us to the role of Ma-bon. We’re not your mothers or sisters. We are colleagues, compatriots, and friends. We may be your seniors or juniors, but we are not always your sisters or mothers. Political participation doesn’t just mean political parties. I believe each and every one of us is a political animal. The media has a huge role to play here, especially when it comes to women’s participation."
Rakib Al Hasan
Youth Leader Activist, ED-CPI
"In the medical profession, many women choose specific fields to avoid working night shifts, which means they are not safe in the workplace. The political parties we are asking for today are not able to provide a safe environment. Women have made significant contributions to national development, and we need to recognize their impact."
Nawaz Farhin Antara
Senior Reporter, Dhaka Tribune
"Women are disproportionately affected by instability, whether due to climate change, political upheaval, or other crises. Moreover, in our country, gender-based violence is increasing. If safety is not ensured, women will not come forward, and they will not be empowered."
Kashish Kaur Sekhon
Intern, Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka
"Norway has made significant progress in achieving nearly 50% female representation in parliament, but this was the result of decades of intentional societal change. Every country has its own values, culture, religion, social norms, and history. What we need to do is find a locally grounded path to gender equality that reflects the reality of Bangladesh. I do believe that the quota system and women’s participation in politics are steps forward, but for long-term change, we also need to focus on shifting mindsets. A one-size-fits-all approach is difficult; we need a locally grounded path to gender equality in Bangladesh."
Moderator: Esha Aurora
Business Editor, Dhaka Tribune
"A lack of education will inevitably place the burden of responsibility on women. In many ways, the division of labor will always be more demanding for women and less so for men. We keep returning to the idea that there needs to be a change in culture—how we perceive women and how we make space for them. Economic freedom is political freedom for many people. That’s the first step. You need to be financially independent in order to make decisions."
Marianne Rabe Knævelsrud
Deputy Head of Mission, Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dhaka
"A roundtable alone cannot solve this issue, but learning and listening are important parts of the journey. If everyone takes away something, learns something new, or gains a new impulse or perspective, then it’s time well spent for everyone."
