NILIMA JAHAN

Despite ongoing challenges for women in employment, education, health, and safety, the national budget for fiscal year 2025–26 has seen a reduction in allocations for promoting gender equality and women’s development.

Rights activists warn that this rollback threatens to reverse progress and stall efforts towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The gender budget has dropped to Tk 2,60,767 crore, down from Tk 2,71,818.6 crore in FY2024–25. As a share of the total budget, it now stands at 33 percent, falling from 34 percent last year.

Its proportion of GDP has also declined to 4.2 percent, compared to 4.86 percent previously, raising fresh doubts about the government’s commitment to closing gender gaps in key sectors.

The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) has seen its budget drop to Tk 5,078 crore, down from Tk 5,222 crore in the previous fiscal year.

Three out of four key thematic areas of gender-relevant spending have also seen declines:

Women’s Empowerment and Social Status: Tk 62,535.9 crore, down from Tk 64,074.6 crore.

Effective Access to Public Services: Tk 36,177.9 crore, down from Tk 44,054.4 crore.

Education, Health, and Wellbeing: Tk 82,867.7 crore, down from Tk 86,894.4 crore.

Only Economic Participation and Equality saw a modest increase, rising to Tk 79,185.2 crore from Tk 76,841.7 crore.

CONCERNS OVER WOMEN’S EMPLOYMENT AND SAFETY

Critics argue that the budget cuts come at a time when Bangladesh is facing massive job losses among women, declining labour force participation, and shrinking access to essential services such as reproductive healthcare and education.

A recent CPD report found that Bangladesh lost 21 lakh jobs between July and December, with 85 percent of them held by women.

In the October–December 2024 quarter, women accounted for 92 percent of net job losses.

Overseas employment opportunities have also shrunk, with monthly female migrant departures falling from 8,789 in 2022 to 4,610 in 2025, according to the Bureau of Manpower, Employment, and Training.

EXPERTS CALL FOR STRONGER IMPLEMENTATION

In his budget speech on Monday, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed announced a Tk 125 crore special fund for women entrepreneurs.

However, experts stress that such measures must be backed by strong implementation frameworks.

Shahnaz Sumi, director at Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha, termed the reductions in gender budget and MoWCA funding as “unfortunate”.

“There’s no recognition of women as farmers, and the minimal increase in allowances doesn’t reflect the rising cost of living,” she said.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad President Fauzia Moslem echoed the concern, stating that reducing the budget while claiming to fight gender inequality is contradictory.

“Without targeted measures for security, employment, and education, women’s economic participation will decline,” she warned.

TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ISSUES

Experts also raised concerns over transparency, noting that only 16 out of 64 ministries included detailed schedules in this year’s gender budget -- a sharp drop from 44 ministries in FY2023–24.

Sharmind Neelormi, economics

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