Financial inequality, violence major hurdles for women in politics, say women leaders at BIGD forum 

Women's political participation continues to face serious obstacles – from unequal financial competition and partisan discrimination to social media harassment and outright violence – speakers warned at a BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) discussion in Dhaka today (20 June).

The event, titled "Women's Participation in Politics: Opportunities and Constraints," was held at the China-Bangladesh Friendship Conference Centre.

Speakers said legislation alone cannot guarantee women's effective role in politics; equally needed is a shift in social attitudes, electoral reform, and women's economic empowerment.

Former MP Rasheda Begum Hira called for expanding women's access to direct elections while maintaining the reserved seat system. She stressed the need for gender-sensitive training and women's control over economic resources, and noted that women's issues had become more visible in the recent national budget.

State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin Putul said changing mindsets must precede everything else. "Enacting strong laws is as important as ensuring their swift and proper implementation," she said, cautioning that deep-rooted stagnation within society and the state cannot be dismantled overnight. 

She described development not as infrastructure alone, but as a sustainable framework combining education, employment, and maternal wellbeing — with most of her government's plans focused on rural communities.

MP Rumin Farhana pushed back against the excessive scrutiny of women's appearance in urban political spaces, saying she had campaigned with her hair open, wearing a bindi and alta, and faced no objections. 

On online harassment, she argued that those who slut-shame women are not the majority – merely the loudest. Criticising what she called the nomination trade of established parties, Farhana said she had been preparing since 2018 to run as an independent, adding that women can finance campaigns through crowdfunding, family support, or personal assets.

Manisha Chakraborty of the Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal said the path for ordinary candidates is extremely difficult where vast sums of money determine electoral outcomes. "A country cannot be changed by people driven by a business mindset," she said. 

Recounting political violence and vote rigging she faced in the 2018 city corporation elections, she expressed hope that even the five hundred people who voted for her could one day spark social change.

A policy brief presented at the event identified electoral, partisan, institutional, and digital violence as key barriers to women's political participation in Bangladesh. It recommended that the Election Commission, political parties, and law enforcement formally recognise such violence, establish safe grievance mechanisms, and take effective measures against digital harassment.