UNFPA: Average life expectancy of women in Bangladesh is 75 years, men 71

The average life expectancy for women in Bangladesh is 75 years and for men 71 years, according to a report of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

UNFPA released the information in its annual publication “State of World Population 2021," which was released last week and mainly focuses on women's rights over their own bodies.

According to the report, the current population of Bangladesh is 167.3 million and it is increasing at a rate of 1.1% per annum. Also, 5.3% of the total population of the country is 65 years of age or older.

A married woman in this country gives birth to an average of two children at the reproductive age (15 to 49 years).

A woman's control over her own body depends on how much control she has over other areas of life. Around the world, people ignore the issue of women's rights over their own bodies in many different ways, said the report.

The report also highlighted statistics on women's education and rights in Bangladesh.

Around 95% of children of school-age go to school, it said. While among the age group suitable for going to secondary school, this rate is 62%.

Also Read - UNFPA: Nearly half of all women are denied bodily autonomy

However, 59% of teenage girls get married before the age of 18 and 29% of women are tortured by their husbands.

In many countries, despite constitutional guarantees, women can enjoy up to 75% of the legal rights enjoyed by men. No country in the world has been able to ensure gender equality as a whole. 

If equality was ensured, there would be no violence against women and girls, no pay inequality, no inequality in leadership and no lack of physical freedom, the report added.

However, there is a discrepancy between the statistics and information given about Bangladesh in the report and the statistics used in general.

According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the average life expectancy of women in the country is 74.2 years and 71.1 years for men. 

Meanwhile, the demographic and health survey in Bangladesh says that the total fertility rate (TFR) in Bangladesh is 2.3. However, the UNFPA report said TFR is 2.