This document discusses women's participation in local government in Bangladesh. It notes that traditionally women have had less decision-making power and their roles were seen as secondary. While quotas have increased women's representation, they still face significant barriers including lack of party support, socio-cultural norms, and not being given meaningful roles. The document outlines challenges such as lack of resources, domestic responsibilities, and negative perceptions. It recommends increasing nominations for women, training programs, and decentralization to empower women in local government.

1. Team mates
Tazlina Zamila Khan
ID: 15162004
Muhammad Rakib Hossain
ID: 14262002
Shafayet Hossain
ID: 14362002
Shangma Bipul
ID: 14262020

2. From Kitchen to Local Government:
Understanding the challenges of local women
political leaders

3. Women’s participation in politics
Traditionally women in our country are
deprived of the right of decision-making
and of effective political participation.
Their roles have been identified as
secondary. Their potentiality remains
largely unrecognized and contributions
are mostly unpaid.

4. What our national leaders say?
“Women candidate could not survive in
the election politics of violence and
money. Moreover, the popular belief is
that nominating a women for a seat is the
other name of losing it” (2001)

5. Participation & Empowerment

6. Participation
Norman Uphoff
a. Participation in decision making in
identifying problems, formulating
alternative planning activities, allocating
resources etc.
b. Participation in implementation in
carrying out activities, managing and
operating programs.

7. c. Participation in economic, social, political
or other benefits individually or
collectively.
d. Participation in evaluation of the activity
and its outcomes for feedback purposes.

8. Vanessa -
a. Having control or gaining
further control;
b. Having a say and being
listened to;
c. Being able to define and
create from women’s
perspective;
d. Being able to influence social
choices and decision affecting
the whole society;
e. Being recognized and
respected as equal citizens in
human beings with a
contribution to make.

9. The capacity to analyse,
organise and mobilise. This
results in the collective
action that is needed for
collective change. It is often
related to a rights-based
approach to empowerment
and the empowering of
citizens to claim their rights
and entitlements (Piron and
Watkins, 2004).
Political empowerment

10. A framework developed by Longwe (1991) provides some useful
distinctions between different degrees of empowerment (with
the numbered list below moving up towards increased
empowerment):
• 1. The welfare ‘degree’: where basic needs are satisfied. This
does not necessarily require structural causes to be addressed
and tends to view those involved as passive recipients.
• 2. The access ‘degree’: where equal access to education, land
and credit is assured.
• 3. The awareness-raising ‘degree’: where structural and
institutional discrimination is addressed.
• 4. The participation and mobilisation ‘degree’: where the
equal taking of decisions is enabled.
• 5. The control ‘degree’: where individuals can make decisions
and these are fully recognised.

11. Dimensions of power
Power Over: ability to influence and
coerce
Power To: organise and change existing
hierarchies
Power With: increased power from
collective action
Power from Within: increased individual
consciousness

12. Constitution of the People’s
Republic of Bangladesh
Article 59(1)
“Local Government in every
administrative unit of the
Republic shall be entrusted
to bodies composed of
persons elected in accordance with law”

13. Related articles
• Article 10 : Steps shall be taken to ensure
participation of women in all spheres of national
life.
• Article 19 (1): The State shall endeavor to ensure
equality of opportunity to all citizens.
• Article 28 (1): The State shall not discriminate
against any citizen on grounds only of religion,
race, caste, sex or place of birth.
(2) : Women shall have equal rights with
men in all spheres of the State and of public life.
(4) : Nothing in this article shall prevent
the State from making special provision in favor
of women or children or for the advancement of
any backward section of citizens

14. Provided direct elections to reserved seats for
women in local level elections. It gave the
structural framework for women’s
participation in political decision making and
provides an opportunity to bring women to the
centre of local development and develop new
grassroots level leadership.
Apart from the reserved seats, women can
also contest for any of the general seats;
previously, the process of selection of the
women representatives was on the basis of
nominations and or indirect elections.
A post of Vice Chairman in Upazilla Parishad
has been created only for women.
The Local Government (Union
Parishad) Second Amendment Act
1997 of Bangladesh

15. Women in Local Government

16. Union Parishad
largest level of local government
women can contest in general seats, and in
addition 3 seats are reserved
In 1997 women's winning rates for the chair
22.5% and general member 24 %
But 2003, chair 9.5% and general 13.8%
In 2011 only 22 out of 225 women candidates
(9.8 %) could win in the chair posts in the UP
elections.

17. Upazila Parishad
The RPO 2008 provides for two elected vice
chairpersons in the second level of local
elected bodies, one of which has to be a
woman.
2009, 481 women vice chairpersons were
elected in reserved seats and only 3 women
were elected directly as chairman.
2014, out of 487 Upazillas, elections were
held in 458 in which a total of 1507 women
took part.

18. City Corporation and
Pouroshabha
10 to 30 seats are reserved for women
depending upon the size in each of the six
city corporations and 223 municipal
bodies known as the Pouroshabha.
Bangladesh has one female City Mayor in
Narayanganj

19. Lets have a
look over the
situation

20. Union Parishad

22. Dhaka Tribune March 16, 2014
• The participation of female politicians in the decision making levels
in all political parties have remained at around 2%, even though the
law stipulates at least 33% participation of women in all committees,
including the executive committee, according to data collected Narir
Joy Sobar Joy campaign.
• As per the 2009 RPO Act, all political parties must have 33% of
women participation in all committees, including the executive
committee, before 2020.
• Seeking anonymity “We are working for our party but no one
recognizes us as politicians. When they think of a representative for
an area, they always choose male candidates,” said a female
politician, who tried to bag a party nomination in the recent
elections.

23. Daily star March 20, 2014
Women's share in party leadership
abysmal: Report

24. What’s stopping
them?
Ideological and
psychological
Socio-
economic
Political

25. 3Ms as major obstacle
Money Man Masculine
Political hindrance:
Lack of party support such as limited financial support for female
candidate
Lack of contacts and co-operation with other public organisation
such as trade unions and women’s groups

26. Barriers to Women’s Participation
in Local Government
Imbalance in the ratio of men and women
– Women limited scope to influence
decisions
Rise in recent political violence

27. Barriers to Women’s Participation
in Local Government
Lack of clarity in the constitution on the
role of women in local government
Patriarchal system, ideology and practice
Male-biased environment - women cannot
give attention to their issues
Lower educational achievements and
prevalence of social norms
 Lack of nomianation

28. • Lack of financial
resources/Poverty
• The duel burden of
domestic work and
professional obligations
• Lack of transport problem
• Family and society’s
support
• Sexual identity
• Negative perception on
women
• Pre-determined social
role assigned to men and
women
• Women participation on
politics seen as “dirty”
• The way in which women
are portrayed in the
media
Socio-economic
barriers
Ideological and
psychological
hindrance

30. Rokeya Sultana elected
member from Shikdar Para
Village under Cox’s Bazar

31. Encouraged to take part in UP election
Elected but faced many hurdles
Opposition tried to convince with threat and other
means to withdraw candidature
“I was not given any development work in my area
although elected. I assured my people that I would
play a role to develop the constituency and social
net activity”
“If I cannot play my role what is the point of getting
elected to Union Parishad ?” (New Age 2012)

32. “We are losing our
popularity as the UCs do
not allow us to work for
people who voted us to
power ” (Chowdhury 2009)

33.  One study finds women were given the tasks related to family
planning, cottage craft, education and women and children’s affairs.
 They are also expected to deal with the women in the community,
NOT THE MEN
 Most of the women don’t have any committee assignment at all
Shefali et al. 2005

34. Survey Data
Women’s Experience of
Corruption: Lessons from Two
Unions of Bangladesh (March
2015)
Women UP members reported that
they were compelled to give
signatures on blank cheques as the
Chair of the Standing Committee on
Development.
A survey on
representation and
violence against women
in politics in Bangladesh
(March 2009)

35. Respondent 302… half of them Women
48.6 percent agreed about violence against
women in politics resulting
a) Threat
b) Divorced
c) Police harassment
d) Mental stress from family
e) Lack of transportation…security

38. Recommendations
Training and sensitization of the male
representatives is a very important
requirement for ensuring women's
empowerment in the local government
structures of the country
 More nomination to female candidate
 More emphasis on 33% women
participation in all committees
 Mass awareness
 Grassroots level training programs and
involvement of the national leaders
Decentralization
Women should be given various
opportunities for leadership training, training
regarding the activities of Union Parishad and
education in order to encourage them to take
up political and leadership position.
Supportive services should be provided to
allow women to participate in these training
courses

40. Lailufar
Yasmin
Mam

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Hossain
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