Women still neglected in Bangladesh political leaderships

Almost all political parties in Bangladesh are set to miss the 2020 deadline for ensuring 33 per cent women representation in their committees as women still lag behind men in terms of participation in politics and empowerments.

Women’s participation in direct elections to parliament and local government bodies are also poor.

The ruling Awami League has amended its constitution extending the deadline to 2021 for filling at least 33 per cent of the committee positions with women.

The opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party has said that it will try to meet the target at its next national council session long overdue.

As the parties are set to miss the deadline, the Election Commission is looking for ways to overcome the problem.

The Representation of the People Order 1972 stipulates that all registered political parties have to increase the female representation in their committees to 33 per cent by 2020.

Election commissioner M Rafiqul Islam told New Age in the past week that the commission would hold a meeting soon to decide its next course of action on the issue.

He said that almost all the parties met the target partially and the situation was improving.

According to commission officials, 38 of the 41  political parties registered with the commission have yet to ensure even 20 per cent representation of women in their committees.

They said that the parties were reminded that ensuring 33 per cent female representation by 2020 was a requisite for securing their registration.

Rafiqul said that the 1973 order would need to be amended to give time to the political parties the meet the target.

Ten of the parties claimed that they made progress while 29 others stated that they were trying to meet the deadline.

The rest two, National Democratic Party and Bangladesh Congress, registered with the commission in early 2019, are yet to inform the commission female representation in its committees.

Only the Ganafront and the Progressive Democratic Party stated in their progress report that they already ensured 33 per cent female representation in their committees.

Islami Andolan Bangladesh spokesperson Sahidul Islam Kabir said that they ensured 33 per cent representation of women in the committees.

He said that their female leaders were working among women because of some religious norms.

The Awami League ensured 25.67 per cent female representation with 19 women in its 81-member existing central executive committee.

According to the progress reports submitted by the parties, BNP has 15 per cent, Jatiya Party 20 per cent, Gantanry Party 15 per cent, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal 12 per cent, Jatiya Ganatantrik Party 12 per cent, Bangladesh Muslim League 6 per cent and Bangladesh Islami Front has 1 per cent representations of women in committees.

The parties, however, submitted no lists of the committees.

Jatiya Party-JP, Khelafat Mojlish, Bangladesh National Awami Party-Bangladesh NAP, National Peoples’ Party, Bangladesh Nationalist Front, Krishak Sramik Janata League, Bangladesh Kalyan Party, Socialist Party of Bangladesh, Communist Party of Bangladesh, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD, Workers Party of Bangladesh, Bangladesher Samyabadi Dal, Bangladesh Jatiya Party, Islamic Front Bangladesh, Liberal Democratic Party, Bangladesh Sangskritik Muktijote, Zaker Party, Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish, Jamiat Ulama-e-Islam Bangladesh, Islami Oikyajote, Revolutionary Workers Party, Khelafat Majlish Bangladesh, Islami Andolan Bangladesh, Bangladesh Muslim League-BML, Gono Forum and Bangladesh Tarikat Federation have informed the commission that they are trying to ensure representation of women in their committees.

AL presidium member Abdur Rahman said that the party would apply to the commission for time to ensure 33 per cent female participation in its committees by 2021.

BNP vice-chairman Selima Rahman said that the representation of women in politics was still poor as women were neglected in the society, politics and family.

She said that her party would try to meet the target at the next council session that was being delayed for reasons.

She said that a party meeting would make a decision about applying to the commission seeking time.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad general secretary Maleka Banu said that the parties were putting women on their committees to meet the legal requisite only and those female leaders had hardly any important role in the parties.

She said that most female representatives in the parties as well as parliament and local government bodies were not active against the repression against women.

She said that statistics was not enough to ensure female leadership as quality leadership would be ensured by women vocal against women repressions.

Sushashoner Jonno Nagarik secretary Badiul Alam Majumdar said that reservation of seats for women in parliament and local government bodies failed to enhance active participation of women in politics.

He said that the system of reservation of seats was faulty and the role of women under the system was symbolic only.

‘Direct election to the reserved seats for women was a must to encourage women in political competitions,’ he added.

In the December 30 general election, 22 women were elected in direct elections in 300 constituencies.

Of the 22 lawmakers, 19 were elected from the Awami League, including its president Sheikh Hasina, two from the Jatiya Party and the rest one was from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal.

The scenario is similar in the local government bodies.

In the latest elections to union parishads in 2016, only women were elected chairman at 29 of about 4,000 unions, said Election Commission officials.

In the latest elections to upazila parishads in 2015, about 1,500 women contested for the positions of chairman and vice-chairman reserved for women in about 400 upazilas while the number of female participants was 2,900 in 2009.

Women rights activist have expressed concern over the poor participation of women in politics while almost half of the voters are women.

According to the latest data, the number of total voters of the country was now 10,98,19,112 — 5,54,82,530 male, 5,43,36,22 female and 360 transgender people.

Secretary is the highest post in the bureaucracy. The country has a total of 76 secretaries and only seven of them, 9.21 per cent, are women.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net