Dialogue urges EC to monitor women’s representation in parties

Political parties in Bangladesh are legally mandated to achieve 33% representation of women across all levels of party committees by 2030.

Despite formal recognition of this requirement, implementation remains largely superficial.

As a result, women's meaningful influence in party policymaking and decision-making processes remains well below expectations, speakers said at a divisional dialogue in Dhaka on Monday.

Participants emphasised that women's political representation should not be restricted to reserved seats or quotas. They called for effective participation to be ensured at all decision-making levels.

Achieving this requires equal emphasis on political commitment, social awareness and institutional reform, they said.

The findings were presented at the divisional dialogue in Dhaka, where results from the study, "Political Parties' Position on the Representation of the People Order (RPO)", were unveiled.

Wave Foundation and ActionAid Bangladesh jointly organised the event.

The study was conducted under the Gender Responsive and Inclusive Participation (GRIP) Project, as part of the United Nations electoral assistance initiatives BALLOT and DRIP.

The research was carried out by Sanaia Fahim Ansari, while Consultant Mansura Akhtar presented the study findings at the event.

The research drew on the views of 191 stakeholders from 11 districts across six divisions of the country.

At the beginning of the programme, Morium Nesa, Lead, Women's Rights and Gender Equity, welcomed participants and outlined the dialogue's objectives.

The study found that 87.3% of respondents were aware of the provision requiring 33% women's representation within political parties.

However, a significant proportion believed that political parties are not taking sufficient action to fulfil this obligation.

Among those surveyed, 72% said the provision is not being effectively implemented.

Stakeholders expressed mixed views on the Bangladesh Election Commission's role and institutional capacity to monitor and enforce compliance with the RPO.

Only 1.4% of respondents believed the Election Commission has adequate capacity to ensure implementation, while 9.9% considered its capacity partially sufficient.

The study identified key barriers preventing women from actively participating in politics and assuming leadership roles within political parties.

Patriarchal party culture was cited as a major obstacle by 60.6% of respondents, while 56.3% highlighted a lack of political commitment.

Family and social pressures were cited by 49.3%, and 45.1% pointed to a lack of democratic practices within political parties.

Additionally, 39.4% viewed limitations in the Election Commission's monitoring and follow-up as a contributing factor.

The barriers are even more challenging for young women seeking to engage in politics.

Fear of insecurity and online violence emerged as the most significant obstacle for young women, according to the survey.

Other factors complicating young women's participation included male-dominated political culture, negative social attitudes, limited opportunities within parties and economic constraints.

Based on the research and institutional analysis, the dialogue put forward specific recommendations to strengthen gender-responsive and inclusive democratic reform.

Participants urged the Bangladesh Election Commission to conduct regular audits of political parties for compliance with gender provisions, and to ensure the publication of mandatory annual reports containing gender-disaggregated data on women's representation and candidate nominations.

They also recommended that women's participation be secured in key decision-making and policy-setting bodies, including party nomination committees, rather than restricted to general committee roles.

The dialogue called for transparent and accountable nomination processes.

Participants proposed introducing state-funded incentives for parties nominating more women candidates in direct elections, as well as reducing nomination fees for women.

They emphasised the need to strengthen internal accountability within political parties and to establish structured mentorship and training programmes supporting emerging women leaders.

Tapati Saha, Programme Manager, Gender Responsive Governance, UN Women Bangladesh, said stakeholders from Mymensingh, Jamalpur, Cox's Bazar, Dhaka and other regions enriched the discussion by providing diverse perspectives.

She reaffirmed UN Women's commitment to collaboration with all stakeholders to strengthen gender-responsive and inclusive democratic structures.

Election Commissioner Abdur Rahmanel Masud, attending as chief guest, said the Bangladesh Election Commission is responsible not only for organising and conducting elections but also for ensuring the will and representation of the people are reflected in the democratic process.

He encouraged organisations and individuals working on women's rights and political participation to remain committed, stressing the need for collective efforts to build a more inclusive political environment.

In her welcome remarks, Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh, said, "Our objective is not simply to identify the shortcomings or limitations of the Election Commission, political parties, or the Representation of the People Order. Rather, it is to develop a sustainable course of action that enables all stakeholders to contribute positively from their respective positions in the years ahead."

The GRIP Project was introduced by its Gender Expert, Shewly Akter.

Kaniz Fatima, Deputy Director of Wave Foundation, congratulated the research team and summarised the discussions.

She noted that, as with many laws in Bangladesh, implementation gaps remain a significant challenge regarding the RPO.

She further observed that concerns over women's safety and barriers to political participation emerged repeatedly throughout the dialogue.

Kaniz Fatima said that, if political parties genuinely implement the RPO's provisions within their organisational structures and decision-making processes, and ensure safe and meaningful participation for women, Bangladesh would make substantial progress towards a more gender-responsive and inclusive democratic environment.

Representatives from the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), National Citizen Party (NCP) and AB Party, along with representatives from the Election Commission, United Nations agencies, civil society organisations, media, legal professionals, researchers and youth groups, participated in the open discussion.

Participants agreed women's political representation should not be limited to reserved seats or quotas.

Instead, effective participation must be ensured at every level of decision-making.

Achieving this requires advancing political commitment, social awareness and institutional reform in tandem.