The International

For a country plagued by a lengthy history of poverty and gender discrimination, Bangladesh has come a long way. Thanks to education and microfinance programs, the role of women in the country has dramatically evolved over the last two decades, leading the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to conclude that “if education were to be integrated on a massive scale with microfinance services for the very poor worldwide,” similar to the experience in Bangladesh, then their true potential will be recognized as they are offered “a dignified route out of poverty.”

Narrowing the gender disparity gap, today more women are given the opportunity to enroll in primary and secondary schools, acquire the necessary resources to enter the labor force, and earn a living for themselves outside of the household. Data from the United Nations and the World Bank prove Bangladeshi women are measuring up to their male counterparts, and playing a significant role in promoting social change while furthering economic development in the poverty-stricken nation.

Gender inequality in Bangladesh

Bangladesh has a well-known reputation as a patriarchal society where gender discrimination has been prevalent for decades. With the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) ranking the country 129 out of 169 countries on the 2010 Gender Inequality Index, many Bangladeshi women lead lives that are severely curtailed due to socioeconomic equality. In the world’s third largest Muslim nation – where 90 percent of the population is Muslim – the religious code of conduct is strictly interpreted and applied. This, along with other traditional social norms, has stood in the way of women gaining independence inside or outside the household. Ms. Saiful Islam, one of the founding members of Women for Women, a Bangladeshi rights group, said that women there are expected to be docile and complacent, according to an article in The Saluki Times.

While this is not true in all situations, discrimination in the homes is common. Many families marry off their daughters in their adolescence to older men to avoid higher dowry costs and the economic burden associated with having more dependents. According to the Social Institutions & Gender Index (SIGI) presented by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Bangladesh has the “highest rate of early marriage in Asia, and ranks among the highest worldwide.” UNFPA reports that nearly 50 percent of girls are married by the age of 18.

Universal education

The quest for universal education equips women in Bangladesh with the necessary knowledge and resources to survive independently without having to rely on a male guardian. Specifically, young girls and unmarried women alike are empowered to provide for themselves through the opportunities provided by enrollment in primary and secondary education. In the Bangladesh Common Country Assessment report published in 2005, the United Nations commended Bangladesh’s success in raising primary school enrollment as one of the country’s “most notable achievements of the last fifteen years.”

Over the years, the government has recognized the power of investing in female primary education to reverse the effects of poverty. Together with organizations like the United Nations, UNICEF, and the World Bank, Bangladesh has initiated programs to help the female population gain equal access to primary education in order to fight extreme poverty and improve their quality of life. By 2008, the World Bank reported that the total amount of government spending on the education sector accounted for about 2.4 per cent of the country’s GDP, compared with less than 1 per cent of the GDP in 1981.

A World Bank document released in April of 2008 discussed the results achieved by the EFA. The report titled, “Education for All in Bangladesh – Where does Bangladesh stand in achieving the EFA Goals by 2015?,” concluded that nearly half of the 16.2 million students enrolled in primary education institutions were female, while the percentage of female enrollment at the secondary-level exceeded 50 per cent. Further, data showed Bangladesh had achieved gender parity in primary completion rates as well, with more girls finishing primary school compared to boys of the same age.

The National Institute of Population Research and Training (NIPORT) says more educated women are making more informed decisions as the ripple effects of universal education benefit households in both rural and urban areas. The progress was depicted and published in the fifth annual Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS), which was conducted by the institute in 2007. The survey, based on a nationally representative sample, showed the evolution of household trends across urban and rural regions. Drawing from the data presented, it was apparent many women were now making smarter future choices when it came to family planning; the percentage of married women who used contraception in 2007 amounted to 56 percent—up a staggering 48 percent from 1975. Additionally, there had also been a decreasing trend in the female household population receiving no education. In rural areas, the percentage of females age 6 and above with no education fell from 50 percent in 1993 to 32 percent in 2007, while urban areas witnessed a slightly less drastic, but still significant drop from 34 percent to 23 percent, respectively. These numbers are growing evidence pointing to education as a major determinant of empowerment, that is paving way to provide a brighter future for women by increasing their mobility and decision-making capabilities.

The World Bank Gender Action Plan

The Gender Action Plan is a collective global agreement signed by the World Bank and some of the world’s leading countries to improve women’s economic opportunities. With half of the funds coming from the Bank and half from the donor countries including Canada, Germany, Norway, and the United Kingdom, the 4-year, US$30.2 million-dollar plan targets empowerment in the economic sector.

“The World Bank Gender Action Plan is an important step in boosting gender equality in an area that has received far too little attention in the past: the economic empowerment of women,” said Ms. Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, who co-announced the Plan with World Bank’s President, Paul Wolfowitz, at the Annual Meetings in Singapore in September 2006. Mr. Danny M. Leipziger, World Bank Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management agrees, saying the economic empowerment of women is not a women’s issue but a development issue. “Under-investing in women’s economic opportunity limits economic growth and slows down progress in poverty reduction.”

The World Bank also reports that the average woman’s life expectancy has increased by about 20 years in developing countries, while the gender divide of primary school attendance has been reduced dramatically. Since the Plan’s conception in 2007, efforts to promote gender equality around the world are having a positive impact on reducing social exclusion and empowering a better way of life for women everywhere. Bangladesh’s thriving garment sector is a great example. Today, an estimated 90 percent of workers in the garment industry are women, and according to World Bank estimates, industry exports make up some 74 percent of annual total foreign exchange revenue for the country. For a nation grappling with extreme poverty, these numbers indicate that women, given increased employment opportunities, are capable of playing a significant role in shaping Bangladesh’s economic infrastructure.

Progress so far

Although the country has seen many positive developments at the primary school level, the World Bank argues it is not sufficient to fulfill the UN’s Millennium Development Goal 2 target of achieving universal primary education by 2015. “Progress has been slower than what would be required to achieve universal access and completion as well improved school quality,” says the Bank. The UN has declared that given Bangladesh’s growing population, the country will need some US $1.7 billion to maintain its “current momentum” and achieve the MDG 2 by 2015. Both parties collectively agree that more capital needs to be invested in order to build a stronger education infrastructure, increase access to universal education, and reduce social exclusion.

Further, the UN Millennium Development Goals 2008 report stresses the need to introduce “targeted interventions” to encourage the poorest of girls living in rural areas to enroll and stay in school. More educational programs like the Food for Education (FFE) program need to be put in place to make universal education affordable for slum-dwellers. Without a chance at primary education, many will never get an opportunity to consider secondary education.

While it is true that women today have more income-generating opportunities than ever before, Ms. Kamal and Mr. Zunaid’s findings support the United Nations and World Bank’s call for increased action. Proposing no “quick-fix” to the ongoing task at hand, the researchers say “female education is a necessary goal, and it needs to be pushed even more vigorously to cross the threshold of secondary education beyond which the net effects on female autonomy are all positive.”