Corruption in the Textile Industry

Empowerment of women in Bangladesh

Importance of Women EmpowermentThe population of women is almost half of the population of Bangladesh. Bangladesh has achieved a great success for last twenty years in terms of enhancing women’s lives in several areas like education, employment, politics, health and business entrepreneurship. In other words, they are making contributions in the nation building with higher extent.

Though Bangladesh has made outstanding achievement, a considerable number of social, cultural and economical factors still hinder the women from achieving their goals. For instance, they face gender discrimination, violence against them, forced early marriage etc. Thus, they are not being able to avail proper opportunities in all areas of life. Therefore, the empowerment of women is necessary not only for them but also for the betterment of the nation as a whole.

Importance of Women EmpowermentThe nearly half of the total population of Bangladesh is women. It is impossible for any nation to develop if women remain in their underdeveloped state of status. Through empowerment of women Bangladesh will get access to many avenues that will facilitate in poverty reduction, better education, greater economic progress and ultimately a more equitable and peaceful country.

Education and financial freedom will enable women to contribute effectively toward the welfare of their families and community members. Empowered women are independent in matters of education, career and marriage/personal choices of career choice of women will benefit them and also improve the productivity in overall and well being of their offspring, which will have a positive impact on generations to follow.

Further, empowering women to the same position as that of men, we will be securing justice, democracy and social development, since these two have always been central tenets of any developed country in the contemporary world.

Women’s Contribution in Various SectorsEducationWomen are actively participating in educational institutions in Bangladesh. Education was always denied to them mainly on account of their poverty and the social system. But with the spread of consciousness and initiatives of the government of Bangladesh, this situation is changing for good. Female students have outperformed their male counterparts in many cases, including the public examinations. Not only this, female students are filling up the classrooms and institutions of higher education at an encouraging pace, becoming professors, doctors, engineers, scientists, teachers and other experts of the world.

Economy and Garment SectorA good number of women work in the ready-made garment industries of Bangladesh. It provides women employment in the country's leading export sector and they are playing a significant role in earning huge foreign exchange for the nation and have made Bangladesh among the leading clothing exporters. Women work in banking, information technology sector, agriculture, business and so on. Now it is a proud moment for Bangladesh to have a higher number of female entrepreneurship due to micro-finance initiatives taken by the world-renowned organizations like Grameen Bank, BRAC and many other similar organizations which helped women to create their own business and achieve financial self-reliance.

Politics and LeadershipThe country has seen a long duration with female leader as prime minister which is not common in world politics. The inclusion of women in all positions of power, be it in the national or in the local governing body or judiciary has been observed by people of the whole world. They play a vital role in policy-making and bringing a balance in the decision-making body by voice to women's rights and needs, which women will now surely fight for themselves in an organized manner and at all levels of society and administration.

Social DevelopmentThey contribute in improving the social standard of Bangladesh through a variety of ways. Women work in NGOs that help to alleviate poverty and spread social awareness regarding numerous social issues including education, health, hygiene and child development programs. They help the country through cultural works and sports. Women are making excellent contributions in the field of sports of Bangladesh. Bangladeshi women athletes have brought laurel from the global arena, and inspire the girls from across the nation to work hard in this sector and bring pride to their country.

Challenges Faced by Women in BangladeshRegardless of all the achievement Bangladesh had obtained, still in a number of fields a lot is required and to achieve, in women's status at the social and economic level.

Gender DiscriminationSome patriarchal views about women and their roles are not changed yet. Men receive equal or more preferences than women in some contexts, which include unequal preference of education, lower wages in working fields and barrier in leadership position.

Child MarriageStill it is one of the acute problems prevailing in Bangladesh where a lot of girl children marry at an early age because of poverty and pressure of social custom. As a result they have to give up their education and suffer physically as well as mentally.

Violence against WomenMany women become victims of sexual harassment, domestic violence and abuse at home and in public places and fear the social stigma which prevent them from seeking any help. The violence is one of the greatest challenges faced by Bangladeshi women at all levels of society.

Lack of OpportunitiesMany rural women are being deprived from having good education, health, technology as well as employment opportunities as social constraint and mentality create hindrance in this regard to facilitate women participate in public life and contribute effectively.

Government Initiatives and EffortsThe government of Bangladesh has implemented various measures including free education to girl children up to grade twelve and has been providing various incentive package to increase participation and attendance in education. Moreover, the country is witnessing the successful implementation of law to prevent child marriage and domestic violence etc. And several micro credit programs have come up, most famous one is of Grameen Bank. Micro credit system is helping many women to start up new business ventures and become self-reliant. Also, it is assisting many women entrepreneurs through various training, loans and assistance given at the disposal to carry on their businesses.

Also, Bangladesh government has initiated the increased number of women participation in government sector, police and administration sector and up to the local representative positions and a great number of government and non-government organizations are also working together to improve women's lot at various levels.

Examples of Successful Bangladeshi WomenBangladesh is honored with some internationally renowned women like Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, known for her excellent leadership and contribution towards the national development and nation, world renowned singer Feroza Begum was also a female iconic personality of Bangladesh. Furthermore, the country's famous social activist and Nobel Laureate, Professor Muhammad Yunus's financial model of giving credits to millions of rural women has transformed the lives of these women. Also, numerous athletes, women entrepreneurs, scientists, student have proved to the world through their achievements and made nation proud.

ConclusionTo say women empowerment is significant for a nation like Bangladesh is an understatement; indeed it is essential for a strong and developed country. Bangladesh has done much during the past decades to elevate women's status at all levels. Education, economy, politics and social sector have witnessed great involvement of women in the nation building processes. The nation is at the present in a progress of betterment through it has still been challenged with the issues of gender inequality, child marriage and domestic violence which need urgent attention of both the state and the society to make the nation prosperous and enlightened.

For a bright future of Bangladesh it is time we considered woman as equal partner in all stages of life and encourage women in all kind of fields; as a result, women can make this country proud, prosperous and an ideal example of a modern nation with no gap between men and women.