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Gender gap is still very high in the country, despite women’s participation increasing in various fields from before. Some analysis will help us understand it.
For instance, gender equality is good in primary and secondary levels of education. But we have to take into account the factors behind it.
The government has a stipend programme for girls in primary and secondary levels of education. Besides, girls’ who are not educated to a certain level suffer from a lack of acceptance even in the villages. We can say that these factors have contributed to increasing girls’ participation in primary and secondary levels of education.
But in the tertiary level of education, the gap between men and women is huge. Why? Where are the girls disappearing? We should know the answers to these questions.
Meanwhile, according to the latest Labour Force Survey, only 36.3 per cent of women are associated with the labour market. But for men, the rate is 80 per cent. That means, there is a huge gender gap in labour force
participation.
If we analyse what kind of work the women in the labour force are doing, we can get some insights on the issue. 1-3 per cent of women in the labour force are unpaid family workers. They work in their own families without any wages.
According to the Labor Force Survey, 49 per cent of young women aged 15-28 are not involved with any form of work, education or training. They are mostly housewives living in villages.
In terms of the demographic dividend, half of the young women are not involved with productive work. How are we supposed to move forward?
Child marriage is a big problem in our country. This is also a major reason for low participation of women in the labour force.
What is the situation of women who are getting paid for their work? While there is not much gap in low-skill professions, there is a big gap in high-skill professions.
According to the Labor Force Survey 2016 statistics, women only hold 12 per cent of managerial posts. The remaining 88 per cent are held by men.
These statistics prove that the participation of women in top decision-making positions is still very low. Taking these into consideration, the gender gap is still huge. But as a Muslim conservative society, Bangladesh has made a lot of progress.
For example, the number of women entrepreneurs in the country is increasing. But they are faced with many obstacles. One is getting a trade licence. I see it as a big challenge. Because women are already in a vulnerable position and they have to face problems in getting a trade licence.
My recommendation in this regard is that authorities can introduce a temporary trade licence for new entrepreneurs– both men and women. The licence will be given for three years based on their business capital or turnover. Entrepreneurs should be able to get it without having to submit so many documents. When the business becomes operational, they can take a permanent trade licence.
Bank loans are another major obstacle for aspiring women entrepreneurs. Especially for small women entrepreneurs who do not have the collateral as required by banks. As a result, banks are not interested in lending to them. So, the women go to the NGOs. But it is not possible to make business profitable using loans from NGOs due to high interest rates.
My recommendation in this regard is that banks can introduce new products by targeting small entrepreneurs only. The Bangladesh Bank can provide incentives to those who introduce such products.
Moreover, a separate female desk can be opened in the bank branches in the upazila or district city, where all loan related information and assistance will be provided. I have spoken to many women entrepreneurs who do not know how or from where to get loans.
Another major challenge for women entrepreneurs is lack of property rights. As a result, they cannot show collateral against the loan they are seeking to start the business. It is a fundamental problem of our country.
Women entrepreneurs also do not have good supply chain contacts. They do not know how to make these connections. Meaning, they face both capital and information related challenges.
Digital commerce platforms such as Facebook marketplace has created new possibilities for them. Women can do a lot using this platform. But authorities should make sure that entrepreneurs are not harassed in the platforms.
Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha is the research director at SANEM
