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Professor Sayema Haque Bidisha, who teaches Economics at the University of Dhaka, delves into the challenges facing the nation’s female population, which comprises half of the demographic, in an interview with Special Correspondent Shakhawat Hossain for ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· Business magazine. She emphasises that economic empowerment is crucial for advancing women socially, particularly given the barriers posed by social taboos, gender-sensitive norms, unfriendly working conditions, and inadequate transportation systems. Professor Bidisha calls for concerted efforts to ensure economic empowerment as women’s participation in the workforce continues to be unsatisfactory.

Child marriages, violence against women, and unpaid care work remain significant obstacles hindering women’s strides in education, maternal healthcare, and participation in the formal labour market over the decades.

‘We can acknowledge the progress achieved by women in certain domains,’ remarked Dr. Sayema Haque Bidisha, a professor in the Economics Department at Dhaka University.

Dr. Bidisha highlighted primary education, maternal healthcare, holding key state positions, and engagement in the formal labour market as key areas of progress for women, speaking to ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· Business magazine ahead of International Women’s Day.

She attributed the rise of the ready-made garment sector since the 1980s to providing opportunities for women in the formal service sector.

Additionally, she noted the increasing participation of women in the non-farm sector, linked to the traditional agricultural sector.

The introduction of stipends in the secondary education system and initiatives from the private sector also deserve recognition for the current advancement of women.

Professor Bidisha emphasised the self-motivation of women in a patriarchal society as a crucial factor contributing to progress.

According to the World Bank, female school enrolment at the primary level in Bangladesh was reported at 123 per cent in 2022.

Furthermore, Bangladesh has made significant strides in reducing maternal mortality, from 441 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2000 to 123 deaths in 2020, according to the ‘Trends in maternal mortality 2000 to 2020: estimates by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group and UNDESA/Population Division’.

However, Bidisha noted that alongside progress, numerous new challenges have emerged, making overall women’s progress a relative issue.

Child marriage, violence against women, the absence of STEM-based education, and limited opportunities for decent employment challenge the current pace and nature of progress.

‘It’s crucial to debate whether the potential of the country’s women has been adequately utilised as the nation approaches graduation from the least developed countries’ bloc in 2026,’ she asserted.

Bidisha highlighted that issues like child marriage and violence against women are linked to the targets of the UN-backed Sustainable Development Goals, making it imperative for all member countries to eliminate harmful practices such as child, early, and forced marriage, as well as female genital mutilation, by 2030.

Moreover, the recognition of the value of unpaid care and domestic work, and ensuring women’s full and effective participation, as well as equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic, and public life, alongside the elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls in both public and private spheres by the same deadline, have been made mandatory.

The economist, who has researched the labour market experience of females in Bangladesh, emphasised the urgency of addressing incidents of child marriage, citing its adverse impacts on the country’s women as a whole.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Sample Vital Statistics 2022, the incidence of child marriage among under-15 girls stood at 6.5 per cent in 2022, up from 4.7 per cent in 2021. This rate was 4.9 per cent in 2020, 6.2 per cent in 2019, and 4.6 per cent in 2018.

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Bidisha underscored that child marriage deprives girls of their right to education, as many drop out of school and become vulnerable to early pregnancy.

Moreover, it inhibits girls from realising their potential and becoming skilled human resources.

‘Lamentably, most of them end up as unpaid care workers,’ Bidisha remarked.

She expressed regret that despite government initiatives to curb child marriage, success has been limited.

Bidisha proposed the introduction of a requirement for higher secondary school certificates to qualify for marriage, rather than adhering solely to the present age ceiling.

Currently, the legal age for marriage for women in Bangladesh is 18 years and older.

‘The requirement of higher secondary school certificates would be more effective than an age ceiling,’ Bidisha argued, highlighting the cascading effects of child marriage on individual women and the nation’s overall socio-economic strategic goals.

In 2022, three out of five young women in Bangladesh were not in employment, education, or training (NEET), aged between 15 and 24 years.

Their proportion rose to 61.71 per cent in 2022 from 59.18 per cent in 2021, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics.

Bidisha attributed the growing number of NEET women to the outcome of child marriage, deeming it a significant waste of workforce and a hindrance to maximising the country’s demographic dividend.

‘A demographic dividend is a period characterised by a proportionally large working-age population resulting from a rapid decline in birth rates. In Bangladesh, this phenomenon has been occurring since the 1970s,’Bidisha explained.

However, she warned that considering demographic dividends typically last for 20 to 30 years, Bangladesh has only a few years left to fully benefit from this trend, if the benchmark is considered in 2040.

‘The utilisation of the country’s demographic dividends to their full potential is hindered by the significant number of NEET women,’ she said.

Additionally, the increasing automation in the RMG (Ready-Made Garments) sector and the global campaign for safety issues following the tragic Rana Plaza incident in Savar, the capital, which resulted in the deaths of 1,134 workers and injuries to approximately 2,500 people in 2013, compelled many factories to become compliant and reduce their female workforce.

As a consequence, women have been significantly affected by changing circumstances and technological advancements, as many factories now prefer male workers for their perceived better skills, noted the professor.

Lessons learned from this phenomenon underscore the necessity for the government to implement programmes for enhancing women’s skills to adapt to these changing circumstances.

Additionally, new areas should be identified to absorb women into the workforce.

Despite women’s participation in the country’s workforce increasing to 42.68 per cent in 2022 from 36 per cent in 2016, the female labour force still comprises only about half of the male workforce, which stands at 80.61 per cent in 2022.

‘The ratio of participation remains unsatisfactory,’ observed the professor of Economics.

Furthermore, upon careful examination, the nature of employment for women reveals disappointing trends.

The latest calculations indicate an increase in the female workforce in rural areas and a decrease in urban areas, particularly in the formal sector where only 3.7 per cent of women are employed, with only 7.3 per cent in managerial positions.

‘Most women are relegated to less important and economically viable jobs, resulting in inconsistencies across every layer,’ she remarked.

Bidisha highlighted numerous opportunities for creating decent job opportunities for women both domestically and abroad.

Professions such as nursing and day care services are in high demand both locally and internationally, and training and skill enhancement programmes can prepare less educated women to meet this demand.

This would also mitigate the necessity for women to seek employment in the Middle East, where they often face harassment.

Encouraging women’s involvement in entrepreneurship can also be a valuable approach to addressing issues related to employment in decent jobs and empowering them.

However, despite the country’s impressive economic growth of more than six per cent annually over the past decade and the predominance of Cottage, Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (CMSMEs) in the economy, accounting for nearly a quarter of the GDP and providing employment to an estimated 87 per cent of the active labour force, the number of enterprises led by women remains low, at 0.56 million or 7.21 per cent, according to the Economic Census conducted by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics in 2013.

Bidisha expressed dissatisfaction with this figure, particularly considering the country’s economic growth and the significant role of CMSMEs.

Regarding the country’s current contractionary monetary policy amid headwinds since 2022, Bidisha noted the difficulty in creating jobs by industries under such circumstances.

However, CMSMEs still have the potential to play a significant role in creating employment, Bidisha emphasised.

She noted that there has been active participation of women in enterprises within the CMSME sector. However, this participation falls short of its potential, she explained, citing several reasons.

Firstly, accessing funds at high costs presents a major challenge. Many small and medium enterprises led by women rely on microcredit for necessary funds, but the high interest rates associated with microcredit often inflate production costs.

‘The women entrepreneurs are forced to compromise on profits to offset the high cost of doing business,’ Bidisha remarked.

Additionally, ongoing research on financial inclusion has revealed that CMSMEs led by women sometimes hesitate to seek loans from banks due to gender sensitivity surrounding financial transactions.

Conversely, banks may also be reluctant to engage with CMSMEs led by women due to concerns such as collateral requirements, documentation, and the relatively small loan amounts sought by these enterprises.

The ‘Mastercard Index of Women Entrepreneurs 2020 Report’ ranked Bangladesh at the bottom among 58 countries in terms of business opportunities for women.

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It highlighted deeply rooted socio-cultural, economic, and financial constraints such as limited work opportunities, insufficient government support, and inadequate access to funding and capital as significant obstacles hindering women’s entrepreneurship.

Furthermore, Bidisha pointed out that many women entrepreneurs lack access to information regarding government initiatives aimed at extending microcredit through the banking system. Despite directives from Bangladesh Bank for credit disbursement to sectors including SMEs, this information often fails to reach women entrepreneurs due to an information gap.

Regarding the Covid-19 pandemic, Bidisha highlighted the disbursement of significant credit facilities by the government in FY20 and FY21, totalling Tk 77,278 crore and Tk 47,715 crore, respectively, to support the economy and livelihoods.

However, she noted that most women entrepreneurs were excluded from these special credit facilities, as they often did not receive the necessary information despite being severely affected by pandemic-induced lockdowns and economic disruptions.

Marketing and regulatory affairs also pose challenges for women entrepreneurs, Bidisha added.

She suggested establishing a separate and flexible window to facilitate women entrepreneurs on a pilot basis as a potential solution to address these challenges.

For instance, women entrepreneurs could be exempted from existing regulatory hurdles, such as the cumbersome documentation process for licensing, and provided with collateral-free loans, recognising that women often have limited ownership of property.

Bidisha suggested implementing such measures for at least one or two years, allowing women entrepreneurs to become familiar with regulatory processes.

‘These initiatives will greatly assist many women entrepreneurs in navigating the regulatory landscape,’ she noted.

Furthermore, Bidisha proposed that the Bangladesh Bank introduce incentives and establish a review mechanism to support women entrepreneurs through banks.

She questioned why bankers would take the risk of assisting women entrepreneurs without incentives.

Additionally, she emphasised the potential role of women’s chambers of commerce in advocating for women entrepreneurs, particularly those facing challenges in rural areas, where they are often overlooked.

While acknowledging the government’s efforts, Bidisha criticised its adherence to outdated frameworks in allocating budgetary resources.

She highlighted the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs as among the lowest recipients of funds from the national budget, emphasising the need for more investment in projects aimed at changing societal perceptions of women and ensuring their economic empowerment.

According to Professor Bidisha, economic empowerment is crucial for advancing women socially.

She identified social taboos, gender-sensitive norms, unfriendly working conditions, and inadequate transportation systems as barriers to women’s empowerment.

She stressed that efforts to address economic empowerment should be a focal point in tackling these complex issues.

Bidisha proposed attaching conditions for receiving budgetary incentives by the private sector to women’s empowerment, suggesting that tax rebates could be offered for this purpose, alongside improvements in workplace safety and transportation.

Regarding the lack of immediate data on violence against women, Bidisha highlighted it as a significant challenge in the ongoing fight for gender parity.

Data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics and other sources revealed that violence against women remains a serious obstacle to their well-being and full participation in society.

According to the Violence Against Women Survey 2015 by BBS, over 80 per cent of married women in Bangladesh have experienced violent behaviour from their partners at least once.

This violence includes physical, sexual, economic, and controlling behaviours.

Despite this, only 2.6 per cent of women took any legal action against partner violence.

Intimate partner violence, defined as domestic violence by a current or former spouse or partner in an intimate relationship, is a pervasive issue.

Shockingly, one in five adolescent girls between the ages of 15 and 19 has experienced partner sexual violence.

While the government has adopted the National Action Plan to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children (2018-2030) and the National Action Plan to Prevent Child Marriage (2018-2030), challenges persist in implementing these measures.

Women often face limited access to affordable, essential, and adequate redressal services, compounded by the social stigma attached to survivors of violence and restrictive social norms, which act as barriers, explained Bidisha.

She emphasised, ‘Violence against women, both within and outside the home, particularly by intimate partners, is on the rise.’

Bidisha stressed the importance of addressing violence against women, noting that it carries serious economic implications comparable to those of child marriage.

According to UN Women in 2016, the global cost of violence against women (including public, private, and social costs) amounts to $1.5 trillion.

Moreover, a 2018 World Bank report found that violence against women can cost up to 3.7 per cent of GDP in some countries.

In 2021, an IMF publication estimated that intimate partner violence in Bangladesh resulted in a total output loss of 1.28 per cent of GDP in 2011.

This estimation accounted for factors such as reduced work hours and productivity per hour worked.

Bidisha highlighted a long-standing demand to include household work done by women in the country’s GDP calculation.

While she acknowledged that incorporating unpaid care work into GDP calculations may not lead to significant changes immediately, she stressed its importance in altering the overall perception of women’s contributions to nation-building.

She explained that most women spend at least five to six hours daily on household work without compensation.

However, quantifying this work’s value could bring about substantial changes, enhancing the recognition of women’s contributions and potentially reducing violence against them.

Moreover, it would contribute to women’s empowerment.

‘It’s not just about economic figures; it’s about acknowledging the invaluable role women play in every aspect of society,’ Bidisha said.

When asked to assess women who remain unemployed despite holding a degree, Bidisha acknowledged that while some may choose not to pursue employment and find contentment in other pursuits, many female graduates are unable to continue or initiate jobs due to the lack of a suitable environment.

She emphasised that numerous female graduates would be eager to join the workforce if certain facilities were provided, such as flexible maternity leave, accessible day care services, workplace safety measures, and reliable transportation.

Bidisha, who advocates for the elimination of child marriage by 2040, underscored the importance of increasing digital literacy rates among women and promoting awareness of safe online practices in light of the growing digitisation trend at home and abroad.

She expressed hope that the government would leverage its grassroots infrastructure to educate women on using digital devices and understanding digital services.

Bidisha highlighted a common issue where many women struggle to remember passwords and fail to comprehend the importance of keeping them secure while using web-based applications and financial services.

By addressing these concerns and providing necessary support systems, Professor Bidisha believes that more women would be empowered to enter the workforce and contribute to the nation’s development.