Women Empowerment in India and Bangladesh
Nevertheless, as a country, India seems determined to elevate the status of its women.
If we look at Bangladesh, the AL-led govt has also taken many steps to empower women, as they act as force multiplier contributing significantly in economic prosperity of the country. Bangladesh has been a role model for women’s empowerment in the past decade, and consequently the society has experienced a positive change because of the efforts made in this regard.
In the year 2015, at the Independence Day address from the ramparts of the Red Fort, the Prime Minister of India had made a vocal pitch about the impending task of empowering women in the country. Subsequently, the Union Government embarked on several measures to better the condition of women across different segments of society.
Not only numerous schemes were introduced, women were encouraged towards excellence in various fields and role models were duly celebrated. Interestingly, the recent revamp of the Union Cabinet and the inclusion of a record number of women within the same have proven that there is immense trust that the government and the nation reposes in women as leaders.
No other Union Cabinet in Independent India’s history has witnessed as many women as the current one, which in itself is a benchmark that ought to be welcomed by all.
In the 11th Jatiyo Sansad, 22 women were directly elected from amongst the 300 constituencies, with another 50 seats reserved for women in 350 member strong Parliament. The total percentage of female representatives therefore stands at 20.3%.
Prime Minister Sk Hasina is leading the country to achieve new heights, while Speaker of the National Parliament, Opposition Leader and at least four Members in the Cabinet are women. Many women are appointed in the Armed Forces (Army, Navy & Air Force), police forces and different cadre services.
There are several other steps too that have been taken over the last half a decade, that have directly ameliorated the situation of women. On the social front, the Government of India has taken positive steps towards ensuring that the societal condition of women in India changes for the better.