Gender inequality in Bangladesh

Gender inequality has been improving a lot in Bangladesh. In 2025, Bangladesh was ranked 24 out of 148 countries on the Global Gender Gap Report of World Economic Forum, which was 47 out 144 countries on the Global Gender Gap Report in 2017, and 139 out of 187 countries on the Human Development Index in 2015. However, inequalities in areas such as education and employment remain ongoing problems so women have little political freedom. Many of the inequalities are result of extreme poverty and traditional gender norms centred on a patrilineal and patriarchal kinship system in rural areas.

Bangladesh has achieved significant advancements in political empowerment, ranking seventh globally with a commendable gender parity rate of 55.2%. Over the past 50 years, the country has witnessed a woman serving as head of state for an impressive duration of 29.3 years, which stands as the longest period in the world. Gender parity in school enrollment has seen significant improvement. Bangladesh has also put in place regulations to protect women's rights and privileges. As access to education for women increases, the momentum to boost women's participation in the labor force continues to grow. Bangladesh has experienced a substantial transformation, marked by the gradual expansion of opportunities for women over the past few decades. Multiple factors have converged to bring about transformative advancements in women's empowerment within the nation.