Low female labour force in Bangladesh

The latest (April, 2015) Bangladesh Development Update published by the World Bank mentions that female labour force participation (the proportion of women between the ages 15-64 who are employed or are looking for employment) stands at a low 33.7 percent. For Bangladeshi men, it is 81.7 percent. The report prescribes that increasing the female labour force participation (FLFP) to the level of that seen among males in ten years would increase GDP growth by 1.8 percent. Thus, it is imperative for policymakers to look into ways to increase FLFP in Bangladesh. It remains a mystery that despite all the development that Bangladesh has achieved in every socio-economic sector, FLFP remains so low in Bangladesh. Social and cultural norms may be preventing women from actively participating in the workforce. Women should be actively encouraged to participate in the labour force by the government. This will not only help to increase the GDP growth, but also elevate the status of women in the country. Already the government has taken some initiatives that should encourage women to increase their participation, like providing free education till Bachelors degree but additional measures might be needed. Women face various forms of physical and mental harassment at work or when going to work, so the government should take steps to encourage a safe working environment and transportation services for women. Along with that, each major corporation should have an ombudsman where complaints can be filed. 

T M Tonmoy Islam 
Assistant Professor of Economics 
Elon University, Elon, NC, USA