From Classrooms to Boardrooms: The Unfinished Journey of Bangladeshi Women
Bangladesh has achieved significant progress in women's education and economic participation compared to many countries in South Asia. Currently, the female literacy rate has reached about 72 percent, and gender parity in primary and secondary education has almost been ensured. About 60 percent of the workers in the country's ready-made garment sector, one of the main driving forces of the economy, are women, which forms an important foundation of the country’s more than 50 billion dollars in export earnings. According to recent data from the World Bank, the female labor force participation rate in Bangladesh is around 42 percent, which is higher than that of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
13th National Parliament Election: 7 Women Candidates Elected
In the 12th National Parliament election, 19 women candidates were directly elected, whereas in the 13th National Parliament election that number has dropped to only 7. This means that within just one electoral cycle, women’s representation has decreased by 12 seats, a development that is being viewed with concern in political circles.
The Guardian: Islamist Rise Sparks Concern for Women’s Rights Before Bangladesh Vote
As midnight struck, women carrying flaming torches marched through the streets of Dhaka, their chants rising above the city’s traffic. “The people shed their blood now we demand equality,” they cried. Across Bangladesh, recent weeks have brought both celebration and anticipation. After the violent student-led uprising in August 2024 that ousted Sheikh Hasina’s regime and left more than 1,000 people dead, the country is now preparing for its first promised free and fair election in 17 years, scheduled for Thursday.
Despite Being Key Voters, Women Barely Lead in Bangladesh Election
Female candidates remain significantly underrepresented in Bangladesh’s 2026 election, with only 85 women contesting out of 1,981 candidates. Despite women being a key voter group, their low presence in leadership and campaign activities highlights ongoing gender gaps in politics, say activists and candidates.
“Sultana’s Dream Lives in All of Us, Women’s Empowerment Transcends Borders”
Acclaimed Spanish filmmaker and animator Isabel Herguera speaks to BD Voice about Sultana’s Dream, her deeply personal cinematic journey inspired by Begum Rokeya’s visionary feminist text. Reflecting on her first visit to Bangladesh, her emotional trip to Rokeya’s birthplace in Pairaband, and the universal struggle for women’s safety and autonomy, Herguera explains why women’s empowerment transcends language, geography, and borders.
The interview was conducted by Audity Falguni.
Demanding for a ‘Ladyland/Republic for Women’ and ‘A Room of One’s Own’
Begum Rokeya and Virginia Woolf, writing from different worlds yet confronting the same structures of patriarchy, imagined liberating spaces where women could think, create and lead. From Rokeya’s visionary Ladyland in Sultana’s Dream to Woolf’s reflections on intellectual freedom in A Room of One’s Own, their ideas continue to shape feminist thought. A recent screening of Sultana’s Dream renews this dialogue across time, cultures and mediums. Audity Falguni writes for BD Voice readers.
A Vision of Non-Communal, Humane and Scientific Society
Today marks the 146th birth anniversary of Begum Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880–1932), a pioneer of women’s awakening, an educationist, and a writer. The imagination of a non-communal, inclusive, and science-minded society that she presented a century ago remains equally relevant today.
Legislation should reflect principles of equality and respect for human rights: Taslima Nasrin
Renowned author and human rights advocate Dr. Taslima Nasrin emphasized the urgent need for a clear separation between state and religion to ensure genuine equality for women.
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