A new study was presented on Tuesday, 24 December 2024, by Koichi Fujita, Professor of Economics at Aoyama Gakuin University, Tokyo, Japan, at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD). The research highlighted the crucial need for targeted policy interventions to bridge the gap between women’s educational attainment and labour market outcomes in Bangladesh. The research, analysing data from the 2016-17 Labour Force Survey, showed that while educational opportunities for women had expanded, these advances had not fully translated into improved employment prospects.
In the Seminar titled ‘Choice of Women in Education, Marriage and Employment in Bangladesh: Analysis of 2016-17 Labour Force Survey Data’, the study was discussed which revealed a significant surge in women’s participation in the agricultural sector, where women now represent nearly 60-70 per cent of the workforce. This shift underscored the changing dynamics in the labour market and the potential of women to contribute more significantly to the national economy.
However, the research also pointed out the persistence of a dual labour market, where women with higher education faced a competitive job market with limited opportunities, and those with less education were often relegated to low-wage, unstable jobs. This disparity highlighted the need for comprehensive strategies that not only focus on education but also create meaningful employment opportunities for women across all educational levels.
Professor Fujita’s findings advocated for expanding the roles of women beyond traditional sectors and emphasised the importance of economic empowerment as a catalyst for broader societal growth. The study called on policymakers to consider these factors in their efforts to promote gender equality and economic development in Bangladesh.
While chairing the session, Dr Khondaker Golam Moazzem, Research Director at CPD, remarked ‘Socio-cultural obstacles and a lack of diverse skills limit the full participation of young women, particularly in rural regions such as Kishoreganj’.
Dr Fauzia Moslem, President, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, underscored ‘In Bangladesh, it is often not up to the women to choose between employment and marriage, as these decisions are frequently made by their husbands and family members’.
While discussing the data used in the study, Ms Sharmind Neelormi, Professor, Department of Economics, Jahangirnagar University, highlighted ‘In recent trends, comparing the labour force data from 2022, we observe that the participation of women in agriculture has been declining since 2016’.
Mr Estiaque Bari, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, East West University, said ‘There is a correlation between the increase in poverty index and lower participation of women’.
‘The employment status of women, particularly in agriculture, should be investigated to determine if they are engaged in unpaid labour, highlighted the Research Fellow of CPD, Mr Muntaseer Kamal.
Mr Syed Yusuf Saadat, a Research Fellow at CPD, mentioned ‘In one of our studies, we compared the number of students in Bangladesh and Pakistan before the introduction of stipends. We found that Bangladesh experienced an increase in female students after the stipends were introduced’.
While sharing his observations, Mr Tamim Ahmed, Senior Research Associate, CPD, raised the question of whether the number of women in the agriculture sector is decreasing due to technological advancements.
‘Many women mistakenly consider unpaid work as self-employment’ emphasised Ms Helen Mashiyat Preoty, Senior Research Associate, CPD.