Bangladesh Foreign Policypaedia (Volume 10)
Engendering Foreign Policy
Book Chapter: Economy
Women’s participation in the labour force in Bangladesh has increased remarkably over time. Compared to 23.9 percent in 2000, female labour force participation has increased to 36.3 percent in 2017. On the contrary, male labour force participation has decreased from 84 percent in 2000 to 80.5 percent in 2017. Although the differences in participation rates between males and females have narrowed substantially from 60.1 percent in 2000 to 44.2 percent in 2017, current female labour force participation (36.3 percent) is still significantly lower than male labour force participation (80.5 percent). Given that women constitute half of the population of Bangladesh, improvements in gender parity through greater female participation will play a vital role in fully utilizing the potential contributions of women to the productivity of the economy, which is imperative to the sustainable development of the country.
Author: Fahmida Khatun
Publication Period: June 2022