Women’s Commission Silent: From Garment Floors to Potato Fields—Is Real Women’s Development Being Ignored?
✍️ Written by: MahbubOsmane.com
📅 Published: May 4, 2025
Summary:
Despite numerous initiatives by government and non-government organizations in Bangladesh to promote women’s development, the ground reality suggests that the most pressing issues are often overlooked. The effectiveness and visibility of the Women’s Commission have come under scrutiny, with many questioning its absence in addressing the daily struggles of grassroots women.
Full Report:
The garments industry, a cornerstone of Bangladesh’s economy, employs nearly 80% women in its labor force. Yet, only 10% of executive positions are held by women—a stark contrast that reflects a systemic stagnation in upward mobility for female workers. Has the Women’s Commission ever addressed this disparity?
Workplace Conditions:
Sexual harassment remains an unspoken epidemic in the garment sector. Female workers routinely face humiliation, lack of security, inadequate pay, and disrespect. Disturbingly, there is little to no visible initiative from the Women’s Commission in addressing these issues.
Rural Labor Realities:
Further afield in the potato fields of northern Bangladesh, in tea gardens, and salt flats, women toil under inhumane conditions. Despite often working harder than their male counterparts, they receive lower wages. A tea garden worker might earn only BDT 100–120 per day—barely enough to provide three meals for her family. Has any representative from the Women’s Commission ever visited these women to witness their struggles firsthand?
Legal Landscape and Misuse:
From a legal perspective, false allegations in gender-based violence cases have created a serious societal issue. Genuine victims often become marginalized in a system that drags on for years without resolution. Yet, the Women’s Commission remains either ambivalent or silent on such critical matters.
Islamic Perspective:
In Islam, women are given high esteem—referred to as “Rabbatul Bayt” (Queen of the House). The religion emphasizes the protection and dignity of women. In that context, is the establishment of separate medical and engineering colleges for women a form of empowerment—or just a superficial model of development?
Cultural Concerns and Western Influence:
Alarmingly, controversial concepts such as marital rape and recognizing sex workers as laborers—ideas rooted in Western ideology—are being subtly introduced in the local discourse. As moral values erode, many are disturbed by comparisons where an OnlyFans content creator reportedly earns more than a Ph.D. scholar. What direction is society heading in?
Hidden Agendas?
The growing concern is that “women’s development” is becoming a tool for pushing specific ideological agendas rather than addressing real needs. One could imagine a female day laborer in a potato field—her face wrapped in cloth against the sun—chasing away such “development proposals” with her sandals.
Conclusion:
True women’s development must begin at the grassroots level—in tea gardens, garment factory floors, and potato fields. Bangladesh needs a realistic, morally grounded approach—not performative feminism. If the Women’s Commission genuinely seeks change, it must take to the field and engage directly with the actual challenges women face every day.
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