We need more women at the top

Although there have been positive changes in terms of women's empowerment in Bangladesh, the gender gap at the administration is still quite concerning. As a report by this daily has shown, based on a 2021 estimate from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS), the percentage of female officials was 19.62 percent in public administration, while it was 22.64 percent in field administration. Moreover, out of the 6,310 secretary-level posts under the public administration ministry, 5,072 were held by men while only 1,238 were held by women. The higher the positions, the fewer were women occupying them.

As per another report by the finance division from 2019-2020, the highest percentage of women officials was in the fisheries and livestock ministry – at only 27.59 percent!

These distressing statistics overshadow the fact that, despite the rise witnessed in school/college dropouts and consequently in child marriages since the outbreak of the pandemic, female students have outperformed their male counterparts every exam season for many years now. Why are there so few women in the public and field administrations then? Where do the successful female graduates go? Why are so many still failing to complete graduation, or embark on a profession of their choosing? And why are ministries that impact every aspect of women's lives have so few of them on their staff?

Experts think that lack of gender equity plays the most significant role behind the massive difference between male and female participations in our workforce. For one, female students often have to endure the scourge of early marriage as well as the stress of child-bearing without adequate support from their close ones. Some don't even make it to the tertiary level of education before they are forced to prioritise marriage over education. With the dominant social narrative being that it is more important for men to build their careers, women also do not receive much encouragement from their families to keep aiming high with their studies or work. And even when women do earn a place in the administration, their progress up the ladder is slowed down by various factors.

We call for a higher participation of women in administration – not to fulfil some arbitrary quota, but because it is crucial for women to hold as many of these offices as men. Only that can ensure gender equity at the local level. When citizens see women performing administrative roles which impact the management of a locality, the prevailing gender norms will inevitably shift towards being more women-friendly. As such, the onus is on the government to make space for more women officials by ensuring a safe, flexible, and supportive working environment for them. Introducing proper transport services and day-care facilities has been suggested by a few experts. It is also important to highlight the achievements of existing women officials so as to encourage more aspirants to aim higher.