Through gendered Lens

National Parliamentary Election in Bangladesh: A Perspective from Women Representation

ASK *

Figure 1: Voters Standing in Queue to Cast Votes

A general election was held in Bangladesh on 29 December 2008.This election is significant to the people of Bangladesh from different viewpoints. Through this election, the people of Bangladesh have restored a democratic government after a long two years of emergency rule by a non-party caretaker government headed by Chief Adviser Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed.

This election experienced the highest number of voters casting their votes for democracy. Particularly for the women of Bangladesh, this election brought momentum for two reasons. Firstly, for the fist time in Bangladesh, the number of women voters exceeded the male voters.

The number of voters in the 9th Parliamentary Elections stands at 81,058,698. Of them, 41,236,149 are women and 39,822,549 men - the former outnumbering the latter by 1,413,600.In the last general elections held on Oct 1, 2001, male voters outnumbered female voters by 2,369,288. The total number of voters at that time was 75,000,656. Of them 38,684,972 were men and 36,315,684 women

Secondly, 19 women, including the two top leaders Sheikh Hasina from Bangladesh Awami league and Khaleda Zia from Bangladesh Nationalist Party, contesting for 23 parliamentary seats won the election by defeating their male counterparts by huge number of votes.

Table 1: Women and the Constituencies Won by them

WOMEN CANDIDATES	CONSTITUENCY WON
Sheikh Hasina	Rangpur 6, Gupalganj 3 and Bagerhat 1
Khaleda Zia	Feni 1, Bogra 6 and 7.
Hasina Ahmed	Coxs Bazar 1
Romana Mahmud	Sirajganj 2
Sayeda Sajeda Chowdhury	Faridpur 2
Matia Chowdhury	Sherpur 2
Shahara Khatun	Dhaka 18
Sanjida Khanam	Dhaka 4
Dipu Moni	Chandpur 3
Nilufar Zafar Ullah	Faridpur 4
Sara Begum Kabori	Narayanganj 4
Meher Afroz Chumki	Gazipur 5
Sagufta Yasmin	Munshiganj 2
Rebeka Momin	Netrakona 4
Begum Monnujan Sufian	Khulna 3
Habibun Nahar	Bagerhat 3
Sultana Tarun	Kushtia 4
Mahbub Ara Begum Gini	Gaibandha 4
Begum Momtaj Iqbal	Sunamganj 4.

The current ninth parliament has the highest number of 64 female lawmakers, including 19 elected through direct election and 45 elected from the female reserved seats. More significantly, the newly formed government comprises five women who, for the first time in Bangladesh, will lead 10 important ministries, including the defense, foreign, energy and home ministries.

Figure 2: Five women lead 10 major ministries

Sheikh Hasina, sworn in as prime minister for the second term, leads six ministries - energy and power, housing and public works, women and children affairs, religious affairs, defense and establishment - and two divisions — cabinet and armed forces.

Dipu Moni, a physician and first-time lawmaker was elected for the Chandpur 3 constituency, is named as the first female foreign minister.

Sahara Khatun, elected lawmaker for the Dhaka 18 constituency, has been given the home ministry.

Matia Chowdhury, lawmaker for the Sherpur 2 constituency, leads the agriculture ministry, which she was in charge of on Hasina’s cabinet during 1996–2001.

Khulna trade union leader Munnujan Sufian, elected lawmaker for the Khulna 3 constituency, has been made the state minister for labour and employment.

Table 2: Women and the Ministries lead by them

WOMEN CANDIDATES	MINISTRIES
Sheikh Hasina	Energy and Power, Housing and Public Works, Women and Children Affairs, Religious Affairs, Defense and Establishment
Dipu Moni	Foreign
Sahara Khatun	Home
Matia Chowdhury	Agriculture
Munnujan Sufian	Labour and Employment

Besides a woman prime minister, important ministries like defense, interior, foreign affairs, agriculture and labour are at the hands of women MPs, which is unique in the contemporary world. So far 'soft' ministries like 'women and children's affairs' or 'social welfare' had been the domains of women ministers in Bangladesh. The new government that was installed in January 2009 has been able to break the 'tradition' and the political mindset. It is also important to mention that these women ministers come from middle-class or lower-middle class background and (except the prime minister) are not known as somebody's daughter or sister or wife. They are self-made leaders.

Like the previous 3 Parliaments, this Parliament has women as both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition with difference that the Deputy Leader of the House is also a woman. Sheikh Hasina is the Prime Minister; Khaleda Zia is the leader of the Opposition and Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury is the Deputy Leader of the House. Earlier, in the eighth parliamentary election held in October 2001, 6 women won the election that include the two top leaders, while 41 female candidates contested in 50 constituencies. In the seventh parliamentary elections held in June 1996, only five candidates won in 11 seats out of 36 female candidates contesting in 48 seats. And in the fifth national election held in February 1991 four women won whereas 46 women candidates took part in the election.

Figure 3: Comparative Analysis of Four Elections Held in Bangladesh

Thus, the number of women in the current parliament shows an increase in women’s access in public decision-making process.

Nevertheless, the struggles of women in Bangladesh to come forward in decision-making haven’t been reduced yet. Despite the various calls from women’s rights groups and human rights organizations in increasing women’s representation in politics, political parties seem to be hesitant. For example, in the recent election in Bangladesh, the women’s rights group recommended the allocation of at least 33% women in all committees of political parties, ensuring one-third seats for women in the parliament through direct election and separate constituencies for them. They also recommended to take special measures to nominate more women in the general seats, ensuring specific roles and responsibilities for women representatives of the local government, including women in all standing committees of the parliament and appointing them as heads of the committees. Formation of a Gender Commission in the parliament and commitments for making new laws and reforming the existing ones to establish women’s equal rights and participation, full implementation of CEDAW were high on their agenda During the preparatory period for the Election, the Election Commission of Bangladesh did a fantastic job in putting preconditions for ensuring at least 33% women in all committees of the political parties and in registering for the election. However, afterwards the election commission had to relax the provisions as the goal to be achieved by the year 2020 because the political parties didn’t agree to the earlier proposal of the Election Commission arguing that in the present context qualified women to fill the quota was lacking. Even the election manifestos of major political parties like BNP seemed to lack provisions to amend the constitution to give direct election for the reserved seats for women. Manifestos of major parties like BNP and AL lacked amendments on the full ratification of CEDAW and reorganization of the national legal structure/framework in line with the CEDAW, i.e., reservations of one third seats for women in the parliament with direct election, ensure specific roles and responsibilities for women representatives of the local government and mobilize required resources and increase women’s effective participation in their party structure. It should also be noted that after so much efforts, the percentage of women members in the parliament out of 300 though direct election stands at only 19, which is just 6.3%. However, including the female reserved seats the percentage of women members in the parliament out of 345 stands at 64, which is 18.5%.

In this backdrop, the victory of women in the recent election held in Bangladesh comes, as a challenge to prove their ability for efficient leadership in public life. So, notwithstanding the low but increasing women representation in politics, it is vital that politicians irrespective of wining, losing, contesting or not contesting in election must realize that the totality of the betterment of the life is not possible without true, balanced and sustainable progress of the women constituting half of the population of Bangladesh.

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