For
more than four decades, the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs (MoWCA)
has been the designated highest level state institution of Bangladesh’s
gender-equality efforts. I had the privilege of working with this ministry at
different stages with different purposes. This enabled me to gain understanding
of its approaches, impact at the national and local level and the challenges it
faces. Reviewing its policies and approaches allowed me to see how frameworks
for gender equality intersect with the complex social realities of Bangladesh. From
the Mother and Child Benefit Program to the Joyeeta Foundation
for women entrepreneurs, MoWCA has worked to integrate women into the country’s
growth narratives. Its policies reflect that Bangladesh has embraced the Women
in Development (WID) approach that emerged in the 1970s ensuring that women are
not left out of development but included as key participants.
Like
the WID agenda, MoWCA’s early focus was on women’s welfare and social
protection. Over time, its priorities expanded to promoting equity, reducing
poverty, and enhancing women’s leadership. According to Global Gender Gap
report, Bangladesh ranked first in South Asia in 2023 for gender parity, with
women contributing significantly to the workforce and political leadership. The
country is also the only one in the region to have had a woman head of
government for over 29 years. Its gender parity achievements were 96.2 per cent
in health and survival; 93.6 per cent in educational attainment index; and 43.8
per cent in economic participation and opportunity index, which is still low,
but represented a remarkable recovery from its status in 2020.
These
are impressive markers of progress. Yet, as feminist scholar Sylvia Chant
reminds us, being included in development processes is not the same as being
empowered by them. In the essay “Galvanising Girls for Development?
Critiquing the Shift from ‘Smart’ to ‘Smarter Economics" (2016), Chant
examines how global institutions began to promote “smart economics”. This idea emphasizes
on investing in women for national growth. MoWCA’s initiatives like
Tottho Apa (digital information access for rural women) and micro-credit
schemes link empowerment with productivity attempt to include women in the
mainstream economy and position women as drivers of national growth. This
strategy has improved livelihoods and visibility, helping Bangladesh gain
international recognition for gender equality. But as Chant cautions,
empowerment defined mainly by economic contribution can emphasize valuing women
for their market potential rather than for their inherent rights as citizens.
Through a WID lens, MoWCA’s policy journey follows a familiar progression: Welfare→ Equity→ Anti-poverty→ Efficiency→ Empowerment. Early programs focused on maternal health, later efforts expanded to education, credit, and entrepreneurship. More recently, gender-responsive budgeting and the National Action Plan (2021–2030) signal MoWCA’s commitment to embedding gender equality across government. However, economic inclusion has not fully overcome economic barriers such as wage gaps, low labor force participation, and limited inheritance rights. Moreover, high rates of violence against women (VAW) continue to undermine the progress achieved and limit women’s participation in public domain.
Bangladesh’s
experience shows both the power and limits of “smart” approaches. By investing
in digital literacy, community awareness, and leadership training, the Ministry
is gradually redefining its approaches. It is not only focusing on earning income
but shaping policies and challenging stereotypes. Projects like Joyeeta
Tower provided income and recognition, while gender-responsive budgeting
ensures that over 40 ministries address women’s priorities. Going forward, MoWCA’s evolution must reflect the transition from WID to a more transformative vision of gender and
development.
Reference:
Ministry
of Women and Children Affairs. (2024). Comprehensive National Review Report
Beijing+30 Implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action
1995.
https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/2024-10/b30_report_bangladesh_en.pdf
Ministry
of Women and Children Affairs https://mowca.gov.bd/
Moser,
Caroline O. N. 1993. “Third World Policy Approaches to Women in Development.”
Pp. 55-
79 in Gender Planning and Development: Theory, Practice and Training. New York:
Routledge.
Chant,
S. 2016. Galvanizing girls for development? Critiquing the shift from ‘smart’
to ‘smarter
economics’. Progress In Development Studies, 16(4), 314-328.
Your insights about MoWCA's work highlight a tension that Chant mentions in her article, as well. Chant acknowledges that “smart economics” has brought visible improvements, such as greater investment in women, expanded access to credit, and heightened policy attention. But, as you suggest, these gains do not touch persistent structural inequalities such as wage disparities, gender-based violence, and unequal inheritance rights. Being included or "adding women into" economic life does not automatically translate to empowerment. Chant's critique of “smart economics” highlights how women’s empowerment has increasingly been framed in capitalistic terms: women are valued for their productivity and potential to drive national growth rather than for their intrinsic rights and agency. Bangladesh’s programs, like Tottho Apa and the Joyeeta Foundation, exemplify this tension. While they enhance visibility and opportunity, they also risk reinforcing a logic that equates empowerment only with economic efficiency.
ReplyDeleteWID and "smart economics" approaches, while fairly straightforward and often easier to get buy-in for funding and policies, do not promote the structural change GAD perspectives argue is needed to address deeper gender equality issues and create empowerment -- but, as Chant highlights, should this critique overshadow the improvements that have been made through these approaches? It is a tension that is not easily resolved, as you note. These approaches can offer opportunities for growth in focus on women's and gender issues, yet is this increased focus enough? To this end, I point to your concluding thoughts: "Empowerment must mean more than participation and visibility."
Great post!!! You make the same point Chant raises: “smart economics” brings money and programs, but it can leave power in the home and workplace unchanged. MoWCA’s Tottho Apa and Joyeeta show inclusion, but inclusion isn’t the same as empowerment. The gaps you note wage gaps, GBV, limits on mobility sit beneath the growth story. In my blog on microcredit I saw the same thing: a woman may sign the loan, yet others choose the business, hold the account, make the purchases, and take the profits. The loan can help the household without shifting power.
ReplyDeleteThis is why a GAD approach matters. It asks simple, concrete questions: who decides, who owns, and who benefits not just how many women participate. I like that you hold both truths: there has been progress, and there’s still a long way to go. The next step is to build on WID-style gains while putting rights and safety at the center fair pay, strong GBV response, freedom to move, and a real say in local bodies.