Our National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam says in his poem that “In the world which are great creation and eternally Beneficial, half of them are contributed by women and rest by men”. But we merely ignore this truth. We have about 80 million women which constitute half of our total population. But we are thinking about our development without involving them in the mainstream of the economy.
It is a matter of great sorrow that we ranked 133 among 189 countries in 2020 Human Development Index, a report conducted by United Nations Development Programme(UNDP). One of the main index of this report is Gender Inequality. Gender Inequality is one of the main hindrances of developing countries like Bangladesh.
The main disparity in our country begins at home and surprisingly parents start this from the birth of a female child and continue till the death of the woman. Moreover, Parents are mentally set for bringing up their girl only for marriage and for this they help them involved in cooking and other household work.
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We are living in the era of globalization. But awfully women are the largest victims of domestic violence in our patriarchal society Still now. Men are the hereditary head of the family whose origin is actually by a woman. But sometimes they forget this reality. Son dominates his mother in her personal decision i.e. she cannot move freely outside of the home, women have to face lower status even in family decision making.
In our society males are the only earning persons for income earning and the rest of the family members are economically dependent on them. For any need they have to fold their hand to the male. This scenario is more acute in a middle-class family.
Some Higher-class families are allowing their girls and wives to higher education and choosing their career and life partner and family decision making as well, poor families cannot but engage themselves in income-generating activities and they have to do so as their male is not sufficient enough for earning and taking care of the family. And the middle class is always about their social status. Their educated wives and girls are remaining busy with household work even they didn’t go to the neighbor’s house without the permission of the family head. Then, how can they think about taking part in decision making for their own and for their family as well as for country?
In spite of this, Marriage is one of the most significant disparities for women in our society. A male dominant society like our women has no right to choose her life partners with whom she has to spend the rest of her life. And male plays an interesting role in marriage. Some parents who want their girls to be educated have to face extra hazards at the time of their marriage, only for making them higher educated.
More or less man wants to marry a woman only for child production, to prepare food, to do household work and finally take care of his whole family. As if wives are certified servants for the husband’s family. They prefer an educated bride but they didn’t want to allow her to work after marriage. Then, Women’s education is for what? Only for child production, preparing food and doing household work! If so, why don’t they prefer a housemaker for marriage? They are very much used to it and if they married a rich man they are very much obedient to them and this will be security for the lady also.
At the time of marriage, the Bridegroom is happy with the working of his would-be wife but after marriage, he is not interested in his wife’s job. But in our country’s perspective most interesting fact is, wife’s earnings are fully used by her husband.
Participation of women in decision making for ensuring a smooth, efficient and sustainable development process is obligatory for a country like Bangladesh. We have huge numbers of women who are staying at home we can use them as potential human resources.
But unfortunately, women in Bangladesh, in many respects are minor and dependent on men from early civilization and have taken for granted their domestic life through male domination. We have to reconsider this situation, men have to give or make space for them to evaluate themselves as resources, not weaknesses. Things are changing now a day’s women are showing their excellence in every sector. Just what they need is a chance.