Leadership Role of Corporate Women in Bangladesh

Typically, a Bangladeshi girl grows up with limited opportunities in education, which further affects their chances in professional life. Women in Bangladesh are increasingly playing important roles in both governmental and non-governmental sectors. NGOs are working very hard on generating employment opportunities for women through micro-credit programs and training, as well as increasing literacy standards and awareness about their rights. Despite the discrimination at every stage, women are fighting hard and shining bright in almost every field they step into.

What makes women stronger in corporate culture? They have qualities that empower them in every competent field. They are more empathetic and can form meaningful relationships. They tend to make more engaging conversations and they are always ready to ask questions, with almost zero hesitation. They are more open to opinions, advice and help from others. They observe more to understand and learn, and can also recognise people’s strengths over weaknesses. They think long-term and are confident when it comes to decision making at necessary times.

It is a fact that being feminine psychologically gives a competitive advantage to corporate women in Bangladesh. Firstly, proper qualification for the job is quite crucial. Mostly women have to prove themselves at every stage to be in a corporate workplace. The parameter, in this case, is performance-driven. So they feel confident about themselves while performing tasks. Lastly, the stress women have to face from maintaining family and work together actually prepares them for handling pressure. Also, the genetic structure of female brains shows that they can process multiple things synchronously. This multi-processing habit helps them a lot in certain working situations.

In almost every village, island or slums across Bangladesh, productive tasks are being organised and led by committees of women. Schools and colleges are established by women. The constant growth of women employment in health and communication sectors is a remarkable achievement for working women. Higher education and micro-credit have both direct and indirect positive impact on employment in Bangladesh for women.

Women have reached high in public sectors in Bangladesh. They have ruled as Prime Ministers since 1991. Fifty seats are reserved in the National Parliament for women. At present, seventy women serve in that structure while 14,000 others hold seats in local governing boards. 10% of all government jobs are reserved for women. Women are now recruited into military service and they can also participate in the U.N. peacekeeping operations.

When it comes to female leadership, Bangladesh is way ahead of the United States, despite being a predominantly Muslim state. Women have steered Bangladeshi politics since 1991, where the U.S. is still hesitating to let a woman rule the nation. Sheikh Hasina had been the prime minister of Bangladesh from 1996 to 2001 and was elected again in 2009. Khaleda Zia served as the prime minister from 1991 to 1996 and 2001 to 2006. They even altered positions through the democratic process, which is unusual for any nation. None of the leaders in the world other than Indira Gandhi ruled a nation with a huge population of as many as 165 million. These two Bangladeshi women have also shown us all that women do not need to walk behind men, especially in a Muslim-majority country.

Working in a male-dominated industry is hard sometimes. But while problems may exist, the problems rooted in cultural beliefs can be altered. Women should be more vocal when defending themselves at their homes and they definitely need to create a fair position of approval and understanding. In Bangladesh, higher-level corporate positions are now held by women more than ever before. This could not have been possible without proper understanding in their families and communities. So instead of futile arguments over equal rights, women should be bold and take hold of the steering of their own lives, and take what they deserve by their own potentials. 👸