Women’s Lack of Political awareness in Bangladesh

Awareness building about women’s situation, discrimination  and rights and opportunities  step toward greater equality. Capacity building and skills development especially ability to plan, make decisions, organize and manage and carry out activities to deal with people and institutions in the world around them. Participation and greater control and decision-making power in the home, community and society. Action to bring about greater equality between men and women.

Since political party leaders currently serving in the Government make decisions on several issues relating to women’s political empowerment, it is importance not only political participation also well aware in leadership. It is obviously true that most of the women in Bangladesh participate in politics exercise by their voting rights but they are not well aware leadership in politics. The dichotomy between the domestic and public sphere is present in most cultures and assigning women the domestic sphere has limited women’s participation in the public sphere of politics.(1)

The norms of Purdah limiting women’s physical mobility. Bengal making it difficult for women to seek critical route to female leadership. Protégé/Patron relationship with a successful politician is more difficult for women than a man. While a young man can easily establish a Protégé/Patron relationship with a senior leader and be pushed up the organizational hierarchy, for a young man the choice is much more complicated; there are not many senior woman leaders who can be misconstrued as a sexual relationship which may hinder rather than promote a woman’s upward mobility. Therefore more of a compulsion on women on women to seek patrons from with family circle.

Women leadership also found it difficult to promote younger women actively into leadership. Studies of electoral participation indicate that women tend to be less informed and less interested in campaign issues, feelings, politically less efficacious and participating less in public rallies, meeting and organization. While the UN decade for women (1975-1985) has generated some studies and data on women’s economic contributions , capable data on women’s political is lacking.

-Methun Dey

University Of Barishal