The Voice News: An alarming 2.1 million people in Bangladesh lost their jobs during the first half of the 2024–25 fiscal year, with women accounting for a staggering 85.7% of the total, according to a recent analysis by the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD).
At a seminar titled “Advancing Gender-Responsive Budgeting and FfD4 Outcome,” CPD Senior Research Fellow Towfiqul Islam Khan emphasized a sharp decline in women’s participation in the workforce. He warned that progress in women’s empowerment is stagnating—and, in some sectors, regressing.
While official 2022 data indicated that 41% of women were active in the labor force, CPD’s findings suggest the actual participation rate is closer to just 19%. “Only 19 out of every 100 women attempt to engage in economic activities—and not all secure employment,” said Khan.
He added that the official female unemployment rate of 3.6% significantly underrepresents the reality, estimating the actual rate at 9.7%. Among young women, unemployment exceeds 22%, and nearly two-thirds fall into the NEET category—Not in Employment, Education, or Training—highlighting the deep underutilisation of female potential.
The study also revealed that 80.8% of employed women are engaged in vulnerable jobs marked by low productivity and inadequate pay. Only 3% receive pensions or retirement benefits through employers, and many are constrained by unpaid care responsibilities that reduce their availability for paid work.
Opportunities for overseas employment are also dwindling. Monthly departures of female migrant workers dropped sharply from 8,789 in 2022 to 4,610 in 2025. Incidents of forced labor, abuse, and harassment abroad further stress the need for protective policies.
Despite improvements in Bangladesh’s Global Gender Gap Index—primarily due to increased political representation—performance in economic, health, and educational areas remains poor. Bangladesh currently ranks 99th overall, 146th in economic participation and opportunity, and 129th in health and survival.
“Gender empowerment cannot be addressed in isolation. It must be a core focus of electoral and policy agendas,” Khan said. He urged the government to monitor investments in women’s employment, skills, healthcare, and safety as part of a gender-responsive national budget.
Debapriya Bhattacharya, convenor of the Citizen’s Platform for SDGs, echoed the need for urgent action through Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB). He stressed that economic pressures such as inflation and declining private investment have disproportionate impacts on women—issues that often go unaddressed in official discussions.
UN Women Bangladesh Representative Gitanjali Singh emphasized the importance of institutionalizing GRB across ministries. She pointed to priorities such as ending child marriage, promoting inclusive infrastructure, and expanding social protection—especially as Bangladesh nears its graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status.
While 44 ministries currently submit gender budget reports, Nubayra Jeheen, Programme Analyst at UN Women, noted that the quality of these reports and their alignment with Sustainable Development Goals and climate-related targets remain insufficient for transformative change.
Rekha Saha, Secretary of Central Legal Aid at Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, presented a collaborative ‘Charter of Demand for Gender Equality.’ Developed with Bonhishikha and supported by UN Women, the charter advocates for increased participation of women in economic and decision-making processes and more inclusive budgeting that reflects the needs of marginalized communities.