A summary update of the gender rights and diversity in Bangladesh till January 2019 , and how public, private and public-private partnerships helped to nurture and flourish these rights and diversity issues.

1. Gender Rights in
Bangladesh
Triggers & Outcomes
SylviaIslam

2. LDC Graduation & Maintenance*
ECONOMIC RISK
Index
Below
25 Pts
HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
Index
72.8 Pts
PER CAPITA INCOME
$1772
Triggers&Outcomes
*United Nations Committee for Development Policy, 2018
HDI threshold was outstripped in 2016 contributed by increases across the five components of HDI – infant mortality,
maternal mortality, undernourishment, adult schooling and adult literacy. The numerous NGOs also contributed through vital
health & educational services.
Per capita GNI exceeded LDC avg since 1996, and crossed the threshold, contributed by mainly textile and garment exports.
Other contributing facets are remittances, natural gas, shipbuilding and seafood, information communications and
pharmaceuticals. Meanwhile, 50 mill people left extreme poverty (from 40% to 14%).
The Economic Risk Index has consistently decreased since 2003, contributed by greater export stability & diversification
*United Nations Committee for Development Policy, 2018
Sylvia Islam

3. Triggers&OutcomesNational Level Programs & Steps
Sources: Addressing Violence Against Women & Ensuring Women Empowerment, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs,
Bangladesh Development Forum 2018 | Bangladesh - Literacy rate, countryeconomy.com
Prime Minister pledged to completely eliminate child
marriage by 2041 & enacted the Child Marriage Restraint
Act, 2017, along with a National Plan of Action to End Child
Marriage (2017-2030)
Ministry Women and Children Affairs monitors, supervises &
follows up initiatives addressing violence against women and
children
Women & Children related Programs
Highlights
Department of Social Services set up 7 safe custodies for
women, girls and adolescents, one such safe custody & 6
women support centers under Department of Women Affairs,
where victims can stay up to 6 months where they get legal
support, psychosocial counseling and life skills training
22.50%
59.70%
10.70%
47%
before 15 yrs before 18 yrs
Child
Marriage
2016
2017
Since 2009, all the ministries adopted gender responsive
budgeting and account for spending their allocation on
economic and social empowerment of women. Out of
2017-18FY’s total budget, 27.99% was allocated for
Women Development Programs.
Bangladesh mandates twelve years of compulsory
education, with free female education for all the 12 years.
Adult female (15-24 yrs) literacy rate is 70.09% (2017)
Sylvia Islam

4. Triggers&OutcomesNational Level Programs & Steps*
Sources: Bertelsmann Stiftung, BTI 2018 Country Report — Bangladesh. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann Stiftung, 2018 |Legal Gender
Recognition: Challenges and Way Forward’, organised by Bangladesh National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and Asia Pacific Forum (APF).
Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio and Communication
(BNNRC) has been implementing “Human Rights in
Development of Gender Diverse Population” through
partnership with 16 Community Radio Stations since 2017.
The objective is to create awareness on third gender issues
towards establishing their human dignity in the society.
Programs for Transgender
Highlights
Officially recognized as ‘third sex’ since 2013, and
identified as such in documents such as passports.
Allowances for aged trans under social safety net program
Scholarship on education for Trans community
Livelihood training programs & small grants for starting
business
Trans pride celebration In November, 2014 in
collaboration with UNAIDS to celebrate the day of third
genders
The first transgender official in
Bangladesh's state-run human rights
watchdog – the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) was employed on
July 2018.
Source: Meet Chaity , Dhaka Tribune, 16 Sep 2018
8 Transgender Candidates filed nominations in the
11th Parliamentary election (2018). One finally ran
against a prominent candidate
Logos, a jute goods export factory started employing
exclusively Trans from 2017. The owner also runs a
Trans welfare platform Rethink.
Source: Is Bangladesh on the cusp of electing its first transgender, Dhaka
Tribune, 16 Sep 2018
Sylvia Islam

5. Triggers&OutcomesOn way to SDG Fulfilment
Source:UNSustainableDevelopmentSolutionsNetwork(2018)
8Not in Place / Stagnating
7Building Block Underway
2 On Track
Bangladesh scored a rank of 111 out of 156 countries in the SDG Index and Dashboards Report 2018, indicating
slight improvement over 2017. Its overall performance on the index is 59.3 out of 100. In terms of spillover index
score, Bangladesh reports a score of 97.9 which is very close to 100 representing the best performer. Sylvia Islam

6. Triggers&Outcomes
NGO in Focus: BRAC Milestones in Highlight
Gender Justice & Diversity
Pioneered involving women in direct income generated assets by establishing Women’s handicraft project in the 70s
Partnering with UNICEF, launched a cartoon ‘Meena’, delineating importance of female education & gender equality in
the 90s
Initiated a microfinance loan for commercial sex workers in 2004
Safe citizenship for girls program initiated to combat sexual harassment at public places in 2010s
Initiated a program ‘Enhancing a positive life’ to combat household level gender discrimination and domestic violence
In 2011, instituted DOLNA (Day care for learning, nurturing, and advancement) to ensure smooth participation of
working mothers, & increase retention. It ensures child’s rights to breast-feeding, safe and secure environment for
child care and development
Source: BRAC, GJD Milestones January 2016 Sylvia Islam