Ducsu polls: Women make up 48% of voters, but only 13% of central candidates

Highlights:

• 18,959 or 48% Ducsu voters are female
• Number of contestants is 462 against 28 central posts
• Of them, only 60 or 13% are women
• At the hall level, 1,108 students are vying for 234 posts
• Of them, 188 or 17% are female

Although female students make up almost half of the voters in this year's Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) election, their participation as candidates remains disproportionately low, an analysis of official data shows.

According to the voter list, a total of 39,874 students are eligible to cast ballots in the upcoming polls. Of them, 18,959 or 47.6% are female, and 20,915 or 52.4% are male.

But when it comes to candidacy, women's representation is much slimmer. Of the 462 students contesting for 28 posts in the central Ducsu, only 60 or 13% are women, compared to 402 or 87% men.

The picture is slightly better at the hall level, where 1,108 students are vying for 234 posts across 18 residential halls. Of them, 188 or 17% are female candidates, while the rest 920 or 83% are male.

Analysts say this is largely because of the shortage of female dormitories. There are only five halls dedicated to female students— Ruqayyah Hall, Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall, Shamsunnahar Hall, Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall, and Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall.

Still, this election has brought some notable shifts. Two female leaders – Sheikh Tasnim Afroz Emi and Umama Fatema – are contesting for the vice president (VP) post from major panels. Emi is nominated by the left-leaning alliance "Force of Resistance", while Umama, a former Chhatra Federation leader, is spearheading "Swatantra Shikkharthi Oikko."

Three more independents – Marzia Hossain Jamila, Jannati Bulbul and Tahmina Akhter – have also entered the VP race.

At the general secretary (GS) level, there is only one female candidate – Sabina Yesmin, from the "Ducsu for Change" panel supported by Chhatra Adhikar Parishad.

"Female students still face significant challenges in claiming their space in this arena. A lack of supportive environment, coupled with bullying and gender-based shaming from opposing groups, creates serious obstacles," Sabina told The Business Standard. 

Campaigning is especially difficult, she explained, because male students can move more freely and enjoy broader support, while women often feel unsafe even within campus boundaries, let alone when canvassing in off-campus dormitories.

Women are also present in the assistant general secretary (AGS) race, with four contenders among 28 — Ashrefa Khatun of the Democratic Students Council (BDSC), Fateha Sharmin from Mahin Sarkar's Swamannito Sikkharthi Sangsad, and two independents, Sanjana Afifa and Aditi Islam.

But in several secretarial-level posts, such as international affairs, student transport, and social welfare, there are no female candidates at all — a reminder of how limited their representation remains beyond symbolic positions.

The gap between women's share of the electorate and their actual candidacy points to persistent gender barriers in campus politics. 

Despite nearly half of the university's students being female, their contest for general seats and executive positions is still a small fraction of the total.

Dhaka University's Women and Gender Studies Professor Syed Shaikh Imtiaz highlighted several reasons behind the disproportionate female participation. "Ducsu is not excluded from the political culture of Bangladesh, which is obviously not female-friendly.

"A culture of fear has surged after the July uprising. Mob culture and moral policing are emerging in society, narrowing women's rights to move freely. At the same time, political parties are not working responsibly at present to ensure the participation of their female peers," he said.

Yet, the presence of women-led independent panels and multiple contenders in high-profile posts signals a gradual shift. These developments reflect both the progress achieved and the challenges that remain in amplifying women's voices within DU's political landscape.