Women in Parliament: Bangladesh 4th in South Asia

Among the South Asian countries, Bangladesh has obtained fourth position in terms of the index of women in national parliaments, according to data released by Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Nepal tops the list, while Afghanistan ranks second, Pakistan third, India fifth, Bhutan sixth, Maldives seventh and Sri Lanka obtained eighth position.

Currently in Bangladesh parliament, the prime minister, speaker and leader of the opposition are women. Another woman leader is the chief of one of the two major political parties. Women leaders have been leading the government for last 27 years since restoration of parliamentary democracy in 1991 in the nation.

In the global map, Rwanda, a war torn central African country, emerged as a model of women empowerment by holding the top position, holding 60 percent female MPs. Ever since the genocide in 1994 which killed many males in the country, Rwanda has been working hard to create a peaceful state with an increase of women in politics.

Women have been playing significant role in all efforts.

Analysing the data contained in the 2017 map, IPU said the number of women in parliaments worldwide has stagnated, with only marginal improvements since 2015.

The map shows slow progress towards gender equality in these areas at regional and national levels.

Participants in the IPU conference held on April 1 urged for increasing women representation in the national parliaments.

Source: The Daily Star