Patriarchy is deeply entrenched in the social fabric of Bangladesh, with its effects visible in every aspect of life, from the family to the workplace and beyond. The subordination of women perpetuates a system of power that is unfortunately deeply rooted in the cultural and historical norms of the country.
However, while patriarchal attitudes and practices are pervasive, they are far from monolithic in nature. In fact, the manifestations of patriarchy in Bangladesh are complex and multifaceted, with different layers of oppression affecting women in different ways.
Let’s explore some of the different dimensions of patriarchy in Bangladesh, examining the ways in which these intersect and interact to perpetuate inequality and injustice for women in this society.
Education
Often touted as the great equalizer, education remains inaccessible to many girls in rural areas due to socio-economic factors and deeply ingrained stereotypes.
Mim (pseudonym), a 15-year-old girl from a rural area of Bangladesh, had passed her SSC exam with excellent results and had dreams of becoming a doctor. However, her family believed that it was unnecessary for a girl to pursue education beyond matriculation and that it was better for her to get married at a young age. They believed that if she waited too long, nobody would want to marry an older girl. Sadly, she was eventually forced to marry and her dreams of becoming a doctor were dashed.
It's worth noting that were Mim a boy, the situation could be very different. Her parents would likely support her dreams of becoming a doctor, engineer, or civil service officer and would do all they could to help make it happen. Unfortunately, gender inequality and cultural norms continue to limit the opportunities and potential of girls and women in many parts of the country.
This educational disparity, based on gender, perpetuates a cycle of dependency, preventing women from achieving economic independence and contributing to their families and communities.
If somehow a girl can ignore these obstacles and complete a level of education, what happens after that?
Workplace
Women face unequal pay, limited career growth, and workplace harassment. Breaking the glass ceiling remains a daunting task for most, as deeply rooted biases continue to hinder their progress.
According to a recent report by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, women's participation in the workforce is only 36.7% compared to men's 81.8%. In rural areas, women's participation drops to a staggering 22.9%. Further, women earn only 65.9% of what men earn for the same work.
Another distressing issue is sexual harassment. A study undertaken by Karmojibi Nari and CARE Bangladesh revealed that approximately 12.7% percent of female workers encounter sexual harassment while on the job. Gender-based violence affects a substantial segment of women in our society, irrespective of their occupation or place of residence in both urban and rural areas.
The above-mentioned discrimination and violence against women in the workplace is a clear indication of patriarchal structures that prevent women from accessing equal opportunities. This is a wake-up call to society to reduce patriarchal norms and beliefs. It's time to de-escalate patriarchy in our professional spaces and create an environment where merit is the sole determinant of success, not gender.
Political representation
While Bangladesh has seen female leaders at the highest echelons of power, the numbers remain low at the grassroots level. The reality of Bangladesh’s politics belies the ostensibly gender-inclusive image.
In the current cabinet, only five of 54 members are women, including the prime minister. In the 2018 general election, only 36 women were nominated for 300 parliamentary seats, of which 22 won. At the local level, key positions like mayor and chairperson remain mostly occupied by men. There are only 44 women in local leadership positions compared with 5,541 men.
It's imperative that we encourage and support more women to participate in politics and decision-making processes. Their perspectives and voices are essential for a balanced and inclusive society.
Homes
Women here bear the burden of unpaid care work. The expectation that women should manage households and raise children while also working outside the home is simply unjust.
According to a survey, conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) with support from UN Women in 2021, on average, women in Bangladesh spend about 25% of their time daily on unpaid care work while men spend 3.3% of their time on the same. This means that women carry out seven times more care work than men.
Despite being prevalent in Bangladesh, the unequal distribution of unpaid care work is not unique to the country. According to ILO (2019), unpaid care work amounts to approximately $11 trillion, or 9% of the global GDP.
The situation exacerbates when we look closely at our society. Take the case of one of my aunts, who works full-time in a private company and juggles child-rearing, cooking, and household chores without rest.
Despite having two days off from her paid job, her household work has no day off. She works approximately 40 hours a week for paid work and 70 hours a week for unpaid household duties. That means, she works approximately 36% for paid work and 64% for unpaid household duties in a week.
This crystal clear division highlights the injustice women like her face due to patriarchal norms, while her husband only focuses on his paid job. Sharing domestic responsibilities and caregiving duties is essential to remove this kind of disparity and imposed burden.
Society
Violence against women continues to plague our society. Domestic violence, sexual harassment, and child marriage remain critical issues.
According to Unicef, 51% of girls are married before the age of 18, and 18% of girls are married before the age of 15. From January to July 2023, 353 women experienced rape, with 80 attempted incidents, as per a report from the Ain o Salish Kendra. Furthermore, 86 women fell prey to sexual harassment while 134 lost their lives at the hands of their spouses. 560 girl children were raped and 98 were victims of rape attempts across the country in 2022. Of them, 12 girls died after being raped, according to the data gathered by Manusher Jonno Foundation.
These reports convey a message to us that we are living in a society where rape, murder, sexual harassment and violence against girls and women are usual occurrence.
Additionally, religion and culture should not be used as justifications for gender discrimination. Our rich cultural heritage can coexist with gender equality. It's crucial to promote an interpretation of religion that upholds the principles of justice, equality, and human rights for all.
Change will not happen overnight. Education campaigns should challenge societal norms with the integration of gender-sensitive curricula in schools. Community and religious leaders, media, and influencers must promote gender equality on their platforms. Employers should encourage diversity and inclusion and political parties should support female candidates.
Change starts with standing against patriarchy.
Md Ariful Islam is an independent researcher and anthropology graduate from The University of Dhaka.
