Women Empowerment in Bangladesh

Although the issue of women’s rights has attracted international recognition and support, women still face many inequalities and barriers. Gender-based violence and economic discrimination are problems in many parts of the world.

Today in the post –Taliban era, women still struggle with their rights. Resolutions were produced and rights for women have advanced since September 11th but in order to move forward, much work needs to be done. Hundreds of years of repression for Afghan women will take a lot longer than a few years to actually revolutionize. There is violence towards women that are not practicing traditions customs and fear retaliations from the Taliban. Customs are difficult to change as well as government policies. (Bora Laskin Law). In Afghanistan, religious and cultural values, politics, and an uncertain acting government have played a major part in the struggle for women’s rights.

From a perilous beginning, Bangladesh has attained notable advancements in economic and social development in about four decades. Since it won its independent in 1971 following a bloody war, many, in the international community were doubtful about the country’s long-term economic sustainability. Some observers predicted a state of continuing aid dependency, while others believed if a country with such enormous and innumerable development problems as Bangladesh could make strides in development, then possibly other developing countries could as

Under Ottoman rule, women “faced legal and social disadvantages”, common to that of previous times. Certain restrictions often forced seclusion and viewing amongst women of all castes. Evidently, women were subordinated to their fathers and husbands in the household (AP world textbook). Likewise, throughout Mughal rule, the position of women, for the most part, faltered, subjecting them to many disadvantages in each sect of life. This came at the hands of patriarchy, polygamy, the practice of Sati (the burning of a widow on her husband’s grave), child marriages, and purdah (the physical seclusion of women in Muslim societies). (Somali, Religious and Social conditions of Society during Mughal Rule) Although low in status, many women in either society gained importance as the dynasty aged and under the rule of specific leaders. For example, this was evident in Akbar’s rule as he even went as far as to outlaw Sati. These contrasting social structures and gender roles all play into their individual history, as well as world history.

Women rights movement’s dates back to the nineteenth century as the female gender was seeking to have a place in the society where they have their rights and entitlement fairly given to them. It was instigated by the fact that the male population by making them feel as less beings in the society. This is because they were not entitled to having their views brought out. However, in the 1970’s efforts to secure equal rights for women by eradicating gender discrimination put by institution, laws and various behavioural pattern meet serious activism (Barrett. 2014). The reforms enjoyed currently concerning women empowerment is as a result of all the atrocities that they went through at this time. It is, therefore, evident to say that the challenges faced by women in the 1970’s rights movement gave birth to new opportunities such as coming up with severe laws on gender discrimination, pushed for the Title IX law and defining rape as a crime.

Women empowerment means to identify all kinds of oppression based on gender roles and to face it. This process has two dimensions: individual and collective. At the individual level, access to information about gender role and its social source lead women to seek for their autonomy and freedom. When they realize that the female social being is a social construction, nor a changeless reality, they can better indentify

Zora Neale Hurston was one of many authors who left an impact on society, particularly black America. Hurston is a remarkable author who reflects her life in most of her writings. She was a writer during the Harlem Renaissance Era. After much success, she was acknowledged as “Queen of the Harlem Renaissance,” yet her literary work was not given proper recognition in the beginning because she chose to write things in a different perspective than the normal political mindset dealing with race. Hurston explored women empowerment and feminism in her writing. She developed very strong, resilient women, but these women were placed in a society where they had to submit, be ladylike, and

Over the course of history, gender inequalities have been a prevalent issue amongst countries around the world. The notion, women are inferior to men has shaped their treatment in all aspects of life. Women were subjected to a patriarchal role in society, the men worked and women took care of domestics to some degree greater or lesser depending the country they resided in. In the late 19th and early 20th century women started rising up against male dominated societies in feminist movements. These movements were campaigns and reform plans to combat issues of equal pay, sexual violence, and denial of suffrage, reproductive rights, equal job opportunities and property rights. Thus observing women in Great Britain and Saudi Arabia today one can see how the role women play in society has dramatically changed from 1800s till now.

America is one of the world’s superpowers. Its citizens enjoy a fairly high standard of living, and it’s melting pot for people from every corner of the globe. On the other hand, Bangladesh is a poor, densely populated country with an ethnically homogenous population. I’m lucky to say that I’ve experienced the best of both worlds, having spent the first five years of my childhood in Bangladesh, and the remainder in America. I’ve experienced the traditional way of life in Bangladesh, the ceremonies, rituals, and familial bond. But I’ve also witnessed the sexism, prejudice and corruption plaguing the country. America seems to be the opposite, but I better understand its strengths and flaws due to my time in Bangladesh.

In 2006, the Organization for economic cooperation and development database conducted a survey on the economic and political power of women in 162 countries, and it was concluded that the greater the power of women, the greater the country's economic success. Out of the 162 countries, 100 countries have started forcing women into power in an effort to improve there countries fortunes and government. This shows how women are greatly impacting the society,making the right choices and government

The book, Microfinance and its Discontent: Women in Debt in Bangladesh written by Lamia Karim, gives us account on what causes a culture to be known as “economy of shame” status, such as in the case of Bangladesh. She writes on a subject that is a top list priority in the economical world these days, the corrupt ways NGO’s lenders do business not only in Bangladesh but across the world, however, she centralizes her views on Bangladesh and only a handful of NGO’s. Even though this was primarily a look at Bangladesh, it has resulted in capturing the attention of people across the globe not only with the NGO’s mention in the book but resulting in a closer look at all NGO’s and how they serve the people. Karim shares with the readers how the 1980’s nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) led in the way of microfinance institutions and claimed that they were providing women with an empowerment tool by issuing them loans. We find that over 80% of borrows are women and most are economically challenged already. With that being stated Karim also takes a look at how and why that is, she discusses the long term effects it is having on women and how it is furthering the exploitation of women in Bangladesh. She looked at how this type of exploitation has not only weakened further women’s economy in Bangladesh but has also strengthen the power NGO’s have over the people (mainly women) at the same time. It takes a look at this type of expansion and brands NGO’s use as a “shadow state

Since the beginning of time, women have had to fight rigorously for basic human rights. In the western stratosphere, those human rights were achieved in the early 20th century, but in a lot of eastern countries the battle for the women is just beginning, or worse hasn't even started. Women in Afghanistan have been subject to heinous circumstances, even though their religion, Islam "demanded that men and women be equal before God,"(Qazi). Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner offers a very insightful view of the governing politics of Afghanistan pre-Taliban regime and during the Taliban regime, and the differing situation of women in both those eras. Based on the book and outside research, it is evident that the situation of women in

1. A brief history about the Muslim rules in India from the late 1200 century to 1957 is described here.

Women in Bangladesh have had a long history of exploitation and have faced discrimination due to their gender. Bangladeshi women came to the international attention in the form of cheap and docile labour. Traditionally, the idea of separate spheres, where men are the breadwinners and women look after the household, comprised the typical Bangladeshi household. Due to the impact of globalization, the economic stability of the country has been severely destroyed and has forced many women to work for longer hours that seem not enough to let the ends meet. Bangladesh Nari Progati Sangha (BNPS) is an agency for empowerment of women in Bangladesh and states that the current trend of globalization in Bangladesh, has an exploitative nature which is extreme to women in the society. Rural women have been working quite long in the agricultural sector, but with the commercialization of the agricultural sector, many women have migrated to the city centers such as Dhaka and working for garment or other industries for minimum wage. Women have a limited scope of economic development in a Bangladeshi society and are paid less than the men, due to the socio-political structure, as well as their lack of education, which is governed by the patriarchal ideology. Given that,

Bangladesh has got a population of around 150 million (2011) with a life expectancy at birth of around 63 years, and an adult literacy rate of 47.5%. The recent Human Development