In a new Bangladesh, let women be seen, heard, and prioritised

It has been seven days since the interim government was formed, and emotions are running high, understandably. After all, what once seemed impossible, happened within days and weeks. 

As major reforms in various sectors are being discussed, demands are being put forward by almost every individual in the society. Women, who make up more than 50% of the country's population and were at the forefront of the movement, also have expectations of their own. 

Women's safety in particular has always been something that every government failed to ensure. As much as women are looking forward to changes such as more freedom of speech, lower tax burdens, reduced crime rates etc, they also want to be able to roam the streets freely. 

During the mass uprising, many female friends and family members shared with me how they felt unsafe while going out after sundown, or how they completely avoided it. And it was especially worse during the few days when law and order in Bangladesh completely collapsed. 

We reached out to students who actively took part in the movement along with feminist activists, entrepreneurs and development sector experts who shared with us that ensuring women's rights as citizens or mere human beings is key to bringing forth any change. 

Among other issues, they have also emphasised the need for building safe spaces for women in public, putting an end to the long-standing discrimination, misogyny and harassment as well as protecting the rights of all minorities in Bangladesh. 

"Through the revolution, it became clear that women can lead any protest and it is never an issue really. This should be normalised, to be able to speak up whenever we want, regardless of our gender"

Nourin Jaman, Student at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST)

A free and inclusive state for all     

Nourin Jaman is a student of statistics at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet. After Abu Syed's murder on 16 July, she became an integral part of the students' movement. 

"After he was shot by the police, I knew there was no turning back for us; this was no longer about quota. My friends and I joined the revolution along with thousands of other students."

According to her, the revolution gave birth to the myriad opportunities to restructure a country and it does not happen very often. 

Now she feels more confident to pursue things that she did not believe were possible before. 

"For example, I always wanted to plant lots of trees and make Dhaka, a typically grey city, greener. I used to think maybe the city corporations would not allow us, but after the revolution, I think maybe I can do it, everyone is interested in bringing positive changes." 

Rights campaigners also think this is an opportune moment.

"In the aftermath of the student- people led revolution in Bangladesh, women, girls, and transgender community view this as a pivotal moment for advancing rights and aspirations for a just and equitable society. Many are optimistic and have wholeheartedly embraced the transformations that have emerged from this movement," said Farah Kabir, Country Director of ActionAid Bangladesh.  

However, she feels that there is a concern that the political parties based on rightist values and religious politics returning to mainstream politics could threaten the rights of women, marginalised and diverse groups in Bangladesh. Therefore, the rights, safety, and security should be a priority for the interim government. 

According to Tasaffy M Hossain, Founder/Coordinator of Bonhishikha, a Dhaka based, feminist not-for-profit organisation, no matter how the quota movement started it, and how much other political groups are trying to get credit for it, the revolution was "a revolution of citizens, and at the core, it was the people setting down their agenda that it was time for this autocratic government to come to an end."  

But she also said that the lawlessness and anarchy, although not uncommon during a time like this, has been overwhelming. "As women, as always, safety is something we battle with on a daily basis, and that has jumped a few degrees higher."  

Is history going to repeat itself? 

Policies, no matter how much they are meant for the welfare of the people, unless they are properly implemented and followed through periodically, we can't expect any changes to happen overnight. 

The interim government is expected to take heed of the demands of the women, no matter which section of the society they belong to. Women should be asked what they want, and be respected for raising their voices. All these were absent during the last regime. 

While there have been many positives, starting from female protesters' active participation to the rise of young female leaders, there have been some negatives as well.

Women wearing sharis while controlling traffic have been criticised, female leadership in general has been indiscriminately blamed for failing to run the country etc. Do corrupt leaders have genders? 

Moreover, we are yet to receive clear information on how the numerous incidents of loot and arson have affected the female victims.  

Tasaffy elaborated on it by saying, "Misogyny and harassment are as strong as ever, you can just see it among social media posts reprimanding girls managing traffic because it's a man's job, and bashing womankind for the poor leadership of the previous PMs."  

"The fact is, politically backed groups setting out to attack homes of those that were part of or close to AL, and of minority religious communities, affects women and girls much more," she added.  

Trishia Nashtaran, a feminist organiser, on the other hand, expressed concerns on abolishing the quota for women.

She pointed out that this decision and the long-term consequences need to be criticised, reviewed, and discussed with women and other structurally excluded communities, before drafting and implementing necessary new policies to mitigate the existing and further widened gaps in the system. 

Farhana Rashid, CEO and co-founder of Bhumijo, a social enterprise that builds safe public toilets for women in the country, rightly stated that although women may be feeling more unsafe than usual to go out at night etc, things were not any better before. 

"My female friends, my sister, all of us would share locations when we travelled alone, or changed routes and went for 'safer' ones. But these can be changed and it won't require a lot of infrastructure changes to ensure women's safety. Small things such as installing lights in dark areas, engaging volunteers at seemingly more unsafe areas etc can be done," she said.  

The route to a safer Bangladesh for women

"We have seen how female students of Dhaka University left their halls and took to the streets late at night, and the male students followed suit. In SUST campus as well, after Abu Syed's killing, female students were protesting in the evening, in the rain. Through the revolution, it became clear that women can lead any protest and it is never an issue really. This should be normalised, to be able to speak up whenever we want, regardless of our gender," said Nourin Jaman.   

As an activist, Tasaffy M Hossain is inspired to work on repairing a nation and how it has been functioning. As a feminist, she is wary about what it means to have an inclusive society, how will all these different voices and visions come together to ensure rights for all. 

As a woman, she worries about how this will impact us going forward - weakened security, heightened misogyny and other examples of similar movements leading to far-right governments.    

Prapti Taposhi, a student of Economics at Jahangirnagar University wants freedom of speech, and the ability to speak up whenever, however. 

"I hope the revolution has motivated us to stay back in Bangladesh and not leave for abroad. I also want my safety and security ensured, not simply because I am a woman, but because I am a citizen of this country."  

Trishia Nashtaran, on the other hand, wants a progressive and decolonial policy that can "look beyond the tokenistic representation of women in power." 

As a feminist organiser, she wants a democracy that is equitable and accountable to every citizen irrespective of gender, sex, religion, ethnicity, and disability. "I want justice. I want freedom of expression without the fear of misogyny."