Experts and politicians have raised alarm over the fact that women made up only around four percent of the candidates in the 13th national election.

Referring to the seven women who were elected as members of parliament, they said overcoming obstacles to participating and winning in the polls carries special significance for women in politics

To ensure women’s participation in politics and policymaking, coordinated initiatives must be taken, they added.

Speakers made these remarks at a dialogue and award ceremony titled “Ensuring Women’s Leadership and Protection in Politics”.

Ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8, ActionAid Bangladesh and Prothom Alo jointly organised the event at a city hotel yesterday.

At the programme, women who contested the February 12 election shared their experiences.

​“If women are vital as voters, why is their leadership always questioned?” asked Rasheda K Chowdhury, executive director, Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE).

“We are yet to accord women the dignity they deserve. Our nation was founded on equality, yet women are being sidelined,” she added.

Rumeen Farhana, who won as an independent candidate from Brahmanbaria‑2, delivered a scathing critique of societal double standards.

“We are ready to see strong women as daughters or sisters, but not as partners in change,” she said, calling for an end to the “good girl” stereotype that stifles political ambition.

​Supporting this, Nayab Yusuf Ahmed, the BNP candidate who won from Faridpur‑3, highlighted how marginalised women are denied basic rights, with their vulnerabilities “exploited to confine them within the home”.

Tasnim Jara, who contested independently from Dhaka-9, exposed the political machinery that treats women as tokens, not decision-makers.

She noted that while women drive grassroots campaigning, “male-dominated structures” systematically block them during the nomination stage.

She also critiqued the reserved seat system, arguing it renders women “more accountable to party leadership than to voters.”

Leader of the Socialist Party of Bangladesh (Marxist) Sima Dutta said that women are often treated as third-class citizens across sectors, from agriculture to garments.

She called for equal pay, legal recognition of women in the informal sector and stronger government action against discriminatory attitudes.

The dialogue also highlighted a chilling rise in violence against women.

Morium Nessa, Lead for Women’s Rights at ActionAid, presented data showing a 52.3 percent increase in reported rape cases in 2025 compared to 2024.

In January 2026 alone, 272 cases of violence against women and girls were reported.

​Furthermore, the dialogue revealed a massive institutional failure: 39 percent of the country’s universities still lack sexual harassment prevention committees.

ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir hailed the candidates as the “bravest citizens” for navigating hostile conditions.

“We do not seek only an increase in numbers. We seek meaningful change. Ensuring women’s safety and dignity remains the greatest challenge,” she said.

Meanwhile, Prothom Alo Editor Matiur Rahman admitted that civil society and the media could have offered stronger support to independent women candidates.

Expressing optimism that women’s participation and visible presence in the next election will increase significantly, he said, “If we all work together in the days ahead, we can play a more effective role in strengthening women’s leadership.”

​The session concluded with a call for stricter enforcement of laws against gender-based violence, robust cyber-safety measures, and a genuine shift in party cultures to move beyond “lip service” to equality.

A highlight of the event was an interactive forum theatre performance titled “Chena Porobash” presented by theatre group Palakar.

Through drama, the performance illustrated child marriage, workplace harassment and the challenges faced by women candidates during elections.

Among those present were the British High Commission’s Social Development Adviser Tahera Jabeen, Sharmin Islam, Gender Team Leader at the United Nations Development Programme Bangladesh, Korvi Rakshand, founder of JAAGO Foundation, and Sadaf Saaz of the National Political Rights Forum.

Women candidates present included Meghna Alam of Ganodhikar Parishad, Taslima Akter of Ganosamhati Andolon, independent candidate Anwara Islam Rani, Barrister Nasrin Sultana Mili of AB Party, and Arifa Akter Baby of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal.