WOMEN ARE SUBJUGATED NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE WOMEN BUT BECAUSE OF SOCIETY: CONTEXT OF BANGLADESH

A number of incidents happened very recently in Bangladesh tell us about the position of women in the society. It is almost similar to other South Asian societies. Women, here, never can deserve the better places as men and women are not alike. In every sphere, men have better positions and roles than that of women. Actually, because of ideological and political endeavor of patriarchy,
the consciousness against the inequality is a slow process among women. But for recent years, protest have been being led by them, which refers they are being aware of their rights so rapidly. In Bangladeshi society, ‘Gender’ is always a very special term which has a very significant impact on every practice of a social being as it differentiated men and women’s roles profoundly. Through this discussion, I want to bring some determinants as well as examples of women’s subordination in Bangladeshi society.

Firstly, in Bangladesh, still now, women are generally considered as housekeeper and their identity also depends on this consideration. I would like to say it is a social construction. But the real scenario is quite different from this social conception. Now in Bangladesh, women are contributing the country as like as men are doing. For the economy of the country, Ready Made Garment (RMG) sector is the most crucial part and its products are being exported all over the globe, but as a  matter of fact, this sector is deliberately dependent on women’s labor power. It implies Bangladeshi women are performing in a global market where men are less advanced than women of the country. In addition to the women, RMG is not the only sector where women are working, rather they are competing with men in every job sector including administration and defense. But, because of the social, ideological constructions women are still not getting recognition of their contribution. Moreover, when husband and wife earn together, the society would like to advert the husband as a breadwinner for the family. And his social status and authority is higher than that of his wife, here is the politics through which men are being special despite women are working hard. Therefore, the men’s domination over women is a dynamic process which is being reproduced constantly.

Then, in Bangladesh, religion is another crucial determinant of women’s subordination.  Islam and Hinduism, these two are the most common as well as the major religion of the country. Among the followers of Hinduism, their beliefs never bring women out of her house. Once upon a time, there was a ritual called Shotidah. During the ritual widow wives were bound to be burned against her will with the dead body of her husband. In 1829, the practice was banned under the rule of Lord William but since then, Hindus started continue the ritual very secretly. Raja Ram Mohon Roy, one of the Indian social reformers, had begun a social movement against the ritual and finally it was rejected by the people. On the other hand, according to Islam, although the doctrines of the religion helped women to be empowered as Hazrat Muhammad (HPUH), the messenger of Allah freed women from the slavery of men, the followers started to dominate women very technically after his death. Thus, they made a hierarchy among them, in which men are powerful over women.

Finally, here, I have another aspect to discuss that social, political,communal, educational, legal all of these institutions are functioning together to reproduce the dominant male image. Simultaneously, these are legitimizing the dominant practice of men over women. So in very common sense, nobody questions this discrimination among human beings. I think this is the political success of patriarchy which is functioning ideologically behind the consciousness.

In conclusion, the matters discussed above have proved that women are subjugated not because they are women by born but because of success of patriarchal politics. It is necessary to say, until and unless women become aware of their rights, they will not be able to get back their position snatched by men.