Perceptions and Major Challenges of Women Leaders in the Lowest Level Local Government in Bangladesh: Unheard Voices and Realities from the Grassroots

Abstract

This paper is about perceptions and challenges of the women leaders (WLs) in the grassroots based local government in Bangladesh, i.e. Union Parishad (UP). Local government of Bangladesh has a history of 144 years but women’s representation is ensured just only 2 decades ago. Within the span of 2 decades, WLs are yet to ensure their effective participation and still they are to struggle a lot due to some built-in problems of the UP. Against such a context, the paper is aimed at unraveling the research questions: i) How women leaders perceived their roles and participation in the UP affairs? ii) Do they face challenges in ensuring their perceived roles and responsibilities in the UP and if so, what are those challenges? and to fulfill research objectives: i) To tap perceptions of the WLs in identifying their roles and responsibilities in the UP affairs; ii) To identify the major challenges of the WLs encountered in ensuring their role and participation in the UP. The paper is based on phenomenological approach which was supported by FGDs, case study, content analysis and observation methods. The findings of the paper reveal that women leaders have internalized their role and participation rightly in the UP. The WLs perceived participation as taking part in areas of important decision-making and upholding their voices and choices for the interest of their constituents. The WLs identified major challenges towards playing their role and participation in the UP such as i) patriarchy or male domination, ii) corruption and iii) faulty legal provision imposed upon them. All these problems are in general governance problems of Bangladesh society. Solution might be changing the legal and structural arrangements in the UP. More affirmative action such as education facilities should be expanded in the society to enhance women’s participation and to modify value system as traditional values help perpetuate patriarchy and other social ills.