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Politics in Bangladesh

Need for a Reconceptualization of the Politico-Legal Approach to Mitigate Women's Disadvantaged Positions in the Parliament

Professor of Law, Faculty of Business, American International University-Bangladesh & Honorary Research Fellow, Faculty of Law, University of Wollongong, Australia, afrozabegum{at}aiub.edu

Bangladesh has been fighting a losing battle over the last 34 years with no indication of even a minimal positive impact on women's participation in the Parliament. Women represent only two per cent of the parliamentary seats. In holding ministries, their positions never exceed three per cent. Nearly 80 per cent of the Parliamentary Standing Committees have no women. The government's affirmative measure has conceived a highly flawed vision that essentially promotes disrespect for the notion of `equality' and makes women MPs `ornamental and passive beneficiaries'. In addition, the sociocultural dynamics that legitimate women's inequality have posed a serious challenge to the constitutional approach to equality, exacerbating by political requirements that force women to further remain beyond the purview of power. Given the reality, a substantial reconstruction of the whole politico-legal approach is not only desirable but also essential to combat women's disadvantaged positions in the Parliament.

Key Words: laws need reconceptualization • politics • women

Journal of Asian and African Studies, Vol. 44, No. 2, 171-198 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/0021909608096658


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