Women must negotiate, lead and participate fully in both corporate and community settings.

Rupali Chowdhury, MD of Berger Paints Bangladesh

Unlocking women’s underutilised human capital is essential for Bangladesh’s economic progress, said speakers at an event yesterday.

“We must remove barriers, change mindsets and ensure women take their rightful place in the workforce,” said Rupali Chowdhury, managing director of Berger Paints Bangladesh, at a policy dialogue styled “Women Shaping the Nation: Policy, Possibility & the Future of Bangladesh” organised by Dhaka Forum Initiative.

Many qualified women do not reach CEO positions partly due to mindset barriers and partly because leadership pipelines remain underdeveloped.

Women often leave work to shoulder family responsibilities and, upon returning, face the challenge of starting anew.

She underscored the importance of maternity leave, daycare facilities and community-based solutions where companies cannot provide them, and psychological and mental support.

“Women must negotiate, lead and participate fully in both corporate and community settings,” she said, while emphasising the need for policies to ensure women occupy leadership roles, citing her company’s requirement that 30 percent of independent directors on the board be women.

Zaima Rahman, daughter of BNP Chairman Tarique Rahman, in her keynote speech, said if Bangladesh wants real progress -- not symbolic success stories, but sustained national development -- then empowerment cannot stop only in classrooms, offices or policies.

“They must reach our homes, our institutions and our mindsets. Policies and access alone do not create equality. You can expand education, pass laws and set national targets, but if social norms, daily expectations and mindsets remain unequal, empowerment remains fragile.”

Gender equality is not a women’s issue but an economic and national one, she said, while pointing out that when women shoulder most unpaid care and household responsibilities, their participation in the formal economy declines.

In Bangladesh, women still perform around 85 percent of unpaid household and care work, spending over seven times as many hours as men on this labour each day.

This work, valued at nearly 19 percent of GDP, remains largely invisible in economic planning and national decision-making, said Zaima, also a barrister.

“If systems and expectations continue to rely on women’s sacrifice as the default, inequality continues comfortably.”

Fahmida Khatun, executive director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue, underscored access to finance as the biggest barrier to developing women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, despite the country having sufficient liquidity in its banking system.

“Many women do not have collateral or mortgages, and often even family members -- including husbands -- are unwilling to provide guarantees. This becomes a major barrier.”

Explaining the need for entrepreneurship, she said Bangladesh’s labour market is limited, with over two million new entrants every year but few jobs available.

“Until investment increases, entrepreneurship is necessary to create employment. Small entrepreneurs already contribute around 25 percent of GDP and must form the backbone of our economy, especially for women.”

Khatun also pointed to a lack of information, noting that many small women entrepreneurs outside Dhaka are unaware of government incentives or support programmes.

“Post-financing guidance -- on profitable sectors and marketing -- is equally crucial. Large policies alone will not work. Implementation at the field level is essential,” she said, urging that government and chamber associations expand support beyond Dhaka.

Skills development, technological upgradation and inclusive policies are critical to preventing women from dropping out of the workforce, she added.

Tamara Abed, managing director of BRAC Enterprises, said fostering women’s entrepreneurship requires a multi-faceted approach and support across various areas.

“Access to finance alone is not enough. Skills are equally important. Often, access to inputs is lacking, and market linkages are a huge factor. Women need to be linked to markets, and various types of support, including legal assistance, are often necessary.”

Abed also stressed the importance of structural market linkages and improved infrastructure, such as safe transportation and inclusive procurement policies, to integrate women into the national economy.

Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, BNP standing committee member, highlighted the party’s targeted approach to women’s empowerment.

“The majority of the beneficiaries of our policies will be women,” he said, citing the party’s proposed Family Card initiative.

Every household will receive a Family Card issued in the name of the matriarch.

“Many homemakers work from morning to night without a formal salary, even though they contribute immensely to family and household management. Under this scheme, every woman will receive Tk 2,500. It may not seem like a large amount, but it is a matter of respect and independence. It is her money, and she decides how to spend it.”

The budgeting and funding for the scheme have been planned.

“It is not just a promise or a political statement but a concrete, implementable policy.”

He also called for a shift away from mega-projects towards direct investment in human capital, particularly through education, healthcare and specialised skills training for women.

A central pillar of BNP’s strategy is women’s empowerment through targeted support, including micro-financing, branding for rural artisans and vocational training in high-growth sectors such as ICT and digital commerce.

The aim is to foster a diversified, modern economy where women can achieve financial independence and pursue varied careers in sports, culture and the arts, he added.

The event was followed by an open discussion, with audience interaction and broader engagement on women’s rights and governance issues. The session featured a mixed panel, including Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Zaima Rahman, focusing on political accountability, women’s participation in politics and future policy directions.