The world has already celebrated 100 years of International Women's Day with the theme "Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities Progress for All." The positive changes that occurred over the last two centuries all over the world for women in the areas of education, employment, rights and in politics did not happen spontaneously. Generations of women came together and caused these changes to take place. The achievement is not only women's right for education and employment but also to be part of all levels of government and to serve the nation.
Bangladeshi women have also gone a long way since 1905 to establish their rights. Guhathakurta, in his Religions, Politics and Women: The Bagnladesh Scenario (2002), states that Begum Rokeya dreamt about women's empowerment and brought women's demands to the public sphere. Such encouraging initiatives have historically led women to challenge and confront (Cat) traditional gender oppression, The inheritors of Rokeya's dream have been struggling to create women's equal place in the public sphere over the past several decades in Bangladesh.
Women's empowerment cannot be completed without achieving political empowerment. The Union Parished is semp an important area for empowering, mobilising and transforming local people for their development. Participation of women in local government bodies is a crucial factor for women development, particularly at grassroots level.
The encouraging thing is that women members made rural society accept women in a leadership position.
Women members are actively involved in non-feminine words of Union Parishad and are visible in the public domain. Although the majority of the women are marginalised in the political realm, it is also true that many of them have carved out their places.
It encouraging that many female UP members want to build their career in politics, which i a positive trend for women leadership in rural Bangladesh. Most of them express their willingness to participate in next election, and are preparting themselves for contesting in general seats and for chairmanship to overcome their marginal position. This momentum also led to creation of the position of woman vice-chairman in Upzilla Parishad in the ¡ecent election.
Women members have to face socio-cultural and institutional challenges. Despite the increased number of women in leadership roles within the formal rural political structure, they are facing socio-cultural problems in establishing their rights. Unequal mode of representation, lack of proper power and resources, absence of proper guiding rules and regulations hinder women's effective participation in UP bodies. The long tradition of gender hierarchy in the political domain does not accept women as power holders, which can hamper the buildup of a supportive male-female working relation.
As a result, women members do not get support or cooperation from their male counterparts while performing their duties. Therefore, it requires changes both in structure and in the mindset of people for meaningful participation of women in politics. However, these scenarios offer the greatest hope for the future of women's political empowerment and towards achieving equal rights and equal opportunities.
