In South Asia, Bangladesh ranks second to last in gender equality in the workplace, with a score of 32.5, higher only than Afghanistan. The World Bank's "Women, Business and the Law-2024" report reveals that women in Bangladesh have legal rights equivalent to only one-third of men's rights in the workplace. This places Bangladesh behind other South Asian countries, with Afghanistan being the only exception. The report, published on March 6 ahead of International Women's Day, highlights the barriers women face in entering and advancing in the workforce.
The World Bank report introduces two indices to assess women's legal rights. The first index measures the extent of women's legal rights on paper, covering aspects like freedom of movement, workplace conditions, wages, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets, and pension benefits. Bangladesh scores 49.4 in this index. The second index, a combination of the existence and implementation of laws, introduces new criteria such as security and childcare. Bangladesh scores 32.5 in this index, indicating that women can enjoy three-quarters of the rights that men have.
However, the report indicates that Bangladesh's legal framework for women's rights surpasses the actual rights situation. Despite legal guarantees of equal rights for women and men in the Constitution, women often struggle to enjoy these rights in practice. In areas such as rape cases, severe punishments are prescribed by law, but the conviction rate remains low.
The report exposes gaps in maternity leave provisions, as Bangladesh lacks legal provisions for a 14-week maternity leave for women. Similarly, there is no legally mandated paternity leave for men, and the law does not prohibit dismissing pregnant women from employment.
In South Asia, Nepal leads the region in ensuring legal rights for women, followed by Bhutan, India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Globally, Belgium is recognized for its efforts in ensuring equal rights for women in the workplace, scoring 100 for legal equality between men and women. However, there is still a slight disparity in practice, with a score of 90. Canada, Denmark, France, and Germany top the global list, while Palestine, Yemen, Iran, Afghanistan, and Sudan rank at the bottom.
The rate of inactivity among girls is significantly higher than that of boys, with 61.71% of young women (aged 15 to 24) being inactive, compared to 18.59% of young men. Labor market specialists attribute this disparity to factors such as early marriage, lack of necessary employment skills, and the absence of suitable working environments for women.
Promoting gender equality in the workplace is emphasized as crucial not only for social justice but also for potential economic growth. The World Bank's chief economist, Indranil Ghosh, suggests that eliminating discriminatory laws and practices against women in employment and entrepreneurship globally could lead to a 20% increase in the gross domestic product (GDP) over a decade.
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