Sadia Islam :
As per capability approach of noted economist Amartya Sen, development is primarily related to individuals’ empowerment, both men and women. So, gender equality and women empowerment are highly connected with dignities of women. Dignity is one of the most essential things to the human spirit. Only with dignity a person can be able to lead a happy life, and may be, can even make a difference in the world. The UN noted, ‘Achieving gender equality and realizing the human rights, dignity and capabilities of diverse groups of women is a central requirement of a just and sustainable world.’
Therefore, gender equality is a key factor for sustainable and equitable development. Actually, not only ensuring sustainable development, a lot of problems of the society can be solved with the end of gender discrimination. The women empowerment matters for the development of a country. It helps ensure justice, poverty eradication, economic growth as well as a well balanced society.
After so much progress in women’s education rate, health care services and women’s empowerment, why are women’s work and identity get stuck in narrow boundaries? What is the identity of a woman who does not play a direct role in earning money, but does housework, child rearing and entertains her family members and husband? Are all these works done by the women not work at all?
It is said, since men are earning, all their activities are valued as ‘work’. On the other hand, since women are not earning, there is no value of women’s work. It is the fact prevalent in our society. In 2018, a study by CPD revealed that women work three times more than men, which numerates 78.8 percent of the total GDP in 2017. Despite working three times as much as men, most women who are not directly earning money are told ‘Do nothing’. Now we are very much aware of inclusive development, but question is how can we think about the inclusiveness or equity without providing the same opportunities and dignities to women and men?
In a recent case in China, it was decided to give money to wife for household activities as a condition of divorce. This verdict has been widely discussed in Bangladesh as well as in other Asian countries. China’s new law has opened options for the people to rethink about this issue.
This is the story of a woman who does not earn money directly. On the other hand, there are only 36.42 percent women who earn money directly or actively participating in the labor force. But among them, how many percent of these women do not get exhausted and tired of doing various household works? In this way women are being hindered in creative works. So, do we still believe in the discriminatory attitude of the patriarchal society? We often talk about the women’s freedom; but do we really believe in giving their freedom, right and dignities what they deserve? Amartya Sen states, “Freedom is at the core of the development process”, and further, he argued “Development is a process of expanding the real freedom that people enjoy.”
If the women are in backward position, the society can never move forward. Therefore, equal rights of every person in the society must be ensured for the sake of sustainable and equitable society. Perfection will come to the society only if one has to pay as much as he/she deserves. The role of the state in developing human dignities towards women’s is undeniable. So the government should not only think about the progress of women’s education but also need to think about that how the benefits of women’s education should be extended to the needs of the society. To expand the range of women’s potential; the government should ensure various development activities to reduce the workload of women and to develop women’s creativity. Setting up adequate day-care centres and government cafeterias for cheap, safe and quality food with subsidy, and various household chores like laundry services should be made cheap and easily available. In addition, there is a need to ensure equal access to opportunities for men and women in various state activities. For establishing a sustainable people-centered development within a country, there is a need to have fair representation of women across different levels of decision-making.
However, to solve these problems only state role is not enough, nor it can be solved by introducing any specific law. Every citizen of the society has the responsibility to create opportunities for women. Family education, institutional education and the practice of ethics, and above all, pursuit of the development of human values is no less important in this case.
For ensuring an inclusive society, there is no alternative to provide equal human dignity to the men and women. We hope concerted effort of all and a change of attitude for a society where all of the people will be able to enjoy human dignity.
(Ms. Sadia is Assistant Professor, Dhaka School of Economics).
