In the past thirty years, Bangladesh has undergone profound social changes, many of which have impacted gender inequality. Fertility rates have been halved, the gender gap in infant mortality, as well as in primary and secondary schooling, has been narrowed or closed altogether, the availability of micro-credit has boosted the solidarity of women as well as their earning potential, and large numbers of young women are leaving their villages to work in garment factories.
However, even in those areas where progress has been made, challenges still remain. Many of the improved gender indicators mask significant economic disparities. Poor women still lack adequate access to reproductive health, and enrolment levels of girls in higher education remain low. There is also evidence that the importance of girls’ education is perceived more in terms of better marriage prospects and not job aspirations. Women’s employments levels remain low, even by South Asian standards, and traditional perceptions about the role of women as home-makers persist.
