CROSS CURRENTS OF EMPOWERMENT AND MARGINALISATION: WOMEN OF BANGLADESH IN TRANSITION

This article examines the complex and often-contradictory situation of women in Bangladesh, who are caught in the "cross currents" of empowerment and marginalization. It analyzes the significant strides made in several areas of women's empowerment, particularly through their mass participation in the ready-made garment (RMG) industry and the success of microcredit programs run by NGOs. The study highlights how these developments have increased women's economic independence, mobility, and social awareness. However, the research also provides a critical analysis of the persistent and, in some cases, new forms of marginalization that women face. These include poor working conditions and low wages in the formal sector, the rise of religious fundamentalism which seeks to restrict women's public role, and the continued prevalence of patriarchal social norms and violence against women. The paper argues that the experience of women in Bangladesh is not one of simple linear progress but a complex and contested process of transition. The analysis concludes that consolidating the gains in empowerment requires a concerted effort to challenge the deep-seated structural and cultural barriers to gender equality.

The status of women in Bangladesh in the 1990s presented a deeply paradoxical picture, a dynamic interplay of progress and backlash. This paper analyzes these "cross currents" of empowerment and marginalization. The first part of the study is a detailed examination of the powerful forces of empowerment. The most significant factor identified is the entry of millions of women into the formal workforce through the export-oriented ready-made garment (RMG) industry. The paper analyzes the profound social and economic consequences of this shift, which has given women an unprecedented degree of financial autonomy. It also examines the role of the vibrant NGO sector, particularly the impact of microcredit programs in enhancing women's economic agency at the grassroots level. The second part of the paper, however, provides a sober counter-narrative, focusing on the persistent and evolving forms of marginalization. It critiques the exploitative labor conditions that often characterize the RMG sector. More broadly, it analyzes the patriarchal backlash against women's growing public presence, a backlash often articulated through the language of religious conservatism, which seeks to reinforce traditional gender roles and restrict women's freedom. The paper also highlights the alarming rates of violence against women, which persist despite their growing economic contributions. The findings reveal that women in Bangladesh are in a state of profound transition, caught between the empowering logic of the market and the disempowering logic of patriarchy. The paper concludes that the future of gender equality in the country will be determined by the outcome of this ongoing struggle.