International Women's Day has its roots in political struggles for gender equality, yet its original essence has been diluted over time.

Women's political participation is a fundamental requirement for democracy, justice and effective governance. Studies conducted by the UN have consistently shown that when women hold leadership positions, societies benefit, particularly in areas of health, education and social welfare.

Yet Bangladesh experiences a stark contradiction.

Since 1991, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia have alternated in holding the highest office, but their leadership did not translate into meaningful structural change.

Critical sectors like health and education remain severely underfunded, while entrenched patriarchy and tokenism continue to marginalise women in politics.

Thanks to the July uprising, Bangladesh now has an opportunity to reshape this narrative. Can the country leverage its evolving political landscape to ensure greater female participation in governance? 

A system of tokenisation and structural discrimination

Recently, the Electoral Reform Commission and the Constitution Reform Commission have proposed to increase the number of parliamentary seats reserved for women to 100 from 50 at present. The seats would be filled through direct elections.

Women's rights activists have largely welcomed the recommendation.

"We have always advocated for direct votes for women in parliament, and this reform aligns with our vision," Fauzia Moslem, president of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, told The Daily Star.

The Bangladesh Mahila Parishad though submitted a bill to the government to increase the reserved seats to 150, which would ensure 33 percent representation of women in parliament.

The Representation of the People Order (RPO) 1972 mandates that political parties allocate at least 33 percent of all committee positions to women. Major political parties though have consistently failed to meet this requirement.

In the last national election, 128 female candidates ran for 99 seats, which is just 4.71 percent of the total 2,713 candidates who took part in the polls. Only 20 women were elected from a total of 300 general seats.

Introduced in 1972 with just 15 seats, the system of reservation was meant to encourage women's political participation. In practice, it has largely been used to keep existing power structures in place.

Instead of serving as a tool for meaningful inclusion, it has historically been politicised by ruling parties, essentially reducing women's roles in governance to tokenism.

This was evident during the Awami League's rule where female members of parliament were beholden to party loyalty rather than political capabilities, as reported by this newspaper in May 2024.

The absence of direct elections for the seats established a system of nepotism and cronyism, where personal connections outweighed merit.

As a result, capable female politicians were denied genuine opportunities to emerge as strong and impactful leaders.

A political landscape hostile to women

And even as women rise to leadership positions, they encounter obstacles that limit their ability to lead effectively.

One of the most significant barriers to women's participation has been the violent and exclusionary nature of political organising.

The intimidation and harassment women face, both online and offline, are deliberately designed to push them out of political spaces.

A study of Facebook content during Bangladesh's 12th national election revealed widespread gendered disinformation aimed at discrediting female politicians, journalists and analysts.

This trend continues today, where females who are engaging socially and politically are facing aggressive misogynistic bullying online.

In the wake of the July revolution, instances of moral policing, mob violence and sexual harassment in public places have surged, with weak response from the interim government. The atmosphere of lawlessness has left women particularly vulnerable.

Unchecked, this spread of gendered disinformation has the potential to discourage broader female political participation. 

A movement towards change?

Amidst all these shifts, Bangladesh is looking at the newly formed, youth-led political party, the National Citizen Party (NCP), with cautious optimism.

Born from the July revolution, this new generation of leaders and activists has emerged with the demand for meaningful structural change.

At a rally in Shahbagh in February, the leaders of NCP publicly asserted that women must be actively involved in decision-making rather than being mere participants in politics.

The then convener, Nasiruddin Patwari, called for greater female participation in local government elections.

With its launch, NCP has since appointed three women out of the top ten members in their highest decision-making body: Samanta Sharmin as senior joint convenor and Dr.Tasnim Jara and Nahida Sarwar Niva as senior joint member secretary.

While the number is still disproportionate, their presence signals that they have a say in shaping the political direction of the party.

"The idea that 'politics is too rough for women' has been used both as an excuse and a weapon, framing women as incapable while actively making politics hostile and unsafe for them," Dr. Jara told The Daily Star.

To ensure sustained participation, the NCP aims to implement some key initiatives: increase the number of women contesting for general seats; establish leadership development programmes and mentorship for aspiring women politicians; create party structures that actively promote women into key decision-making roles; and strengthen legal protections against political violence, harassment and intimidation.

"Power has been hoarded for so long that we have built a system where politics is a family heirloom, not a public service. Women, especially, have been kept on the sideline, handed symbolic roles while the real decisions are made elsewhere. This isn't just about fairness -- it's about effectiveness. When you exclude half the population from leadership, you are running a country on one leg," Dr. Jara said.

The future of women's political participation in Bangladesh remains uncertain, but the presence of strong female leaders from the protests to the new political party suggests that change is possible.

Whether this momentum translates into meaningful transformation depends on the ability of these leaders, and the broader political system, to create an environment where women are not just participants but leaders shaping the nation's direction.

Without intentional efforts to dismantle structural barriers, women's voices will continue to be marginalised.

Addressing this gap is not only a question of fairness but a necessary step towards a more just and representative political system.