Survey reveals progress towards gender equality

Women have more independence, and a greater potion of men are involved in the housework in 2019 than in 2015, according to a recently revealed survey.

The survey found 50.5% of women under the age of 30 need permission from their male partners to go outside the home in 2019, as compared to 80.9% in 2015. 

Meanwhile, 71% of men said they do housework all the time and 26% sometimes in 2019, whereas only 38.2% of men said they helped with household tasks in 2015.

The study, titled “Male Engagement for Gender Equality: Sustained impact and changes in southwest Bangladesh,” was conducted by USAID’s Nobo Jatra project and led by World Vision Bangladesh. A total 9,814 married couples in the Koyra, Dacope, Kaliganj and Shyamanagr areas of southwestern Bangladesh were among the participants.

The outcomes of the study were revealed in a virtual workshop on Monday.

According to the study, 39.2% of women are now able to go outside and buy groceries without any need for permission, and 65.1% can go shopping for household goods.

Furthermore, 52.8% men now help feed their children, 84.9% take care of them during sickness, and 52.8% men bathe them.

A total 98.1% of the men and 94.7% of the women agreed that child marriage is harmful for adolescent girls.

Chief guest of the program and State Minister of the Ministry of Women and Children Affiars (MoWCA) Fazilatun Nessa Indira said: “Workload has increased during the lockdown caused by Covid-19 and participation of men in the household activities could help women take part in the economic sector more.

“With equal participation and contribution of males and females, a family can stay happy and together we all will work to establish this,” she added.

Country representative of UN Women Bangladesh Shoko Ishikawa said: “Transforming gender norms, relations and gender based violence is quite possible. The focus on prevention is important.”

Special guest of the program and USAID Mission Director Derrick S Brown said: “Engaging men as allies is so important in achieving gender equality. In addition to working at the household level, child protection committees and government systems should be vigilante to reduce gender-based violence.”

Khulna Metropolitan Police ADC Sonali Sen urged the youth to play a vital role in preventing child marriage. 

Mahmuda Rahman Khan, senior program development specialist of USAID Bangladesh, said: “About women’s mobility, when it is about permission, we are controlling women in the name of protection. The masculine attitude over the issue should be stopped.”

Mentioning that women should be involved in the decision making process, she said: “In text books, we always see men in the decision making role. We need to change the curriculum. We should carefully raise sons so that they are respecting women.”

Assistant Professor Taslima Yasmin, faculty of law at University of Dhaka, said women should have better access to law and justice.

“We need to make the legal framework accessible to women,” she said.