Female unemployment rate concerning

While Bangladesh has made remarkable strides in expanding women’s access to education, it is concerning that many female graduates still struggle to find suitable employment. Universities and colleges now produce more female graduates than ever, reflecting decades of progress in girls’ schooling and higher education. But this achievement has not translated into equal opportunities in the labour market.

According to government data, women accounted for 47 percent of all public university graduates in 2023, up from just 14 percent in 1973. Yet the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics’ Labour Force Survey (LFS) 2024 shows unemployment among female graduates at 20.39 percent, compared with 11.31 percent for men. The disparity is even sharper among those aged 15 to 29, where 34 percent of women are unemployed, against 26 percent of men. These figures expose a widening gap between educational progress and economic participation.

The problem is further compounded by a mismatch between available jobs and the expectations or qualifications of highly educated job seekers. Beyond the shortage of employment, social and institutional barriers continue to limit women’s participation. Safety concerns, long commutes, rigid working hours, and limited housing options often discourage women from pursuing certain jobs. The labour market remains segmented along gender lines, with women concentrated in a narrow set of sectors such as education and healthcare, where growth is limited. Even when women enter the workforce, advancement remains constrained: only about 6.2 percent of managerial positions are held by women, showing that educational gains have yet to translate into equal representation in high-skill and decision-making roles.

Inadequate childcare facilities, inflexible working arrangements, and the absence of family-friendly policies often push women out of the workforce, particularly during motherhood. A BRAC survey found that around 75 percent of women leave work primarily due to family responsibilities and motherhood, and many struggle to return. Entrepreneurship is often offered as an alternative, but women frequently face bureaucratic hurdles, limited access to finance, and inadequate market support.

When educated women are excluded from the workforce, the country loses vital human capital, and decades of progress in women’s empowerment are undermined. Economic growth and productivity also falter when half the population cannot fully contribute. Tackling this challenge demands coordinated reforms to create meaningful employment opportunities for women, alongside inclusive workplaces offering childcare support, flexible hours, and stronger protections against discrimination.