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adding that many women are unable to vote independently due to male household control.

ActionAid Country Director Farah Kabir said although female voter turnout has historically been high, the 2026 electoral cycle reflected a “chilling effect”, with right-wing forces restricting women’s participation and limiting female candidates.

She called for institutionalised solidarity and a mentorship mandate within parties, along with alumni networks to support aspiring women candidates.

Stressing that political parties must end the excuse of “candidate scarcity”, she said, “Political parties have to take responsibility to bring in women so that in five years’ time we are not having the same conversation.”

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shama Obaed said women’s participation would remain limited unless political party mindsets change.

She noted that women cannot compete in a “rough” political environment without equal financial backing and suggested parties invest in potential candidates well ahead of elections.

Calling for structural inclusion, she urged ensuring women’s representation at all levels, from ward to district committees, proposing at least ten women per committee.

She also said patriarchal norms, political violence and family resistance require sustained institutional pressure for meaningful change.

Samantha Sharmin, senior joint convener of the NCP, criticised the Election Commission, saying it was largely limited to administrative work.

She said the EC lacks both research capacity and the will to enforce the mandatory 33 percent women’s representation in party committees.

“Even where women are included in decision-making bodies, key decisions are often taken informally in male-dominated spaces,” she said, calling for greater accountability of party leaders.

Taslima Akhter, a Dhaka-12 candidate, said identity-based politics often undermines women’s professional merit, reducing them to labels such as wife, daughter, or sister.

She urged the media and society to focus on women’s achievements instead.

Mohammad Moin Uddin Khan, joint secretary at the EC Secretariat, said while the Representation of the People Order mandates 33 percent women’s representation, there are no penalties for non-compliance.

“We need legal instruments or court orders to enforce these quotas,” he said.

Razequzzaman Ratan, joint secretary of BASAD, called for a broader social movement to demand fair representation and proposed a convention of women who have contested elections over the past 35 years.

Sonali Dayaratne, deputy resident representative of UNDP Bangladesh, stressed the need to move from identifying problems to implementing solutions, advocating a merit-based system instead of reliance on political dynasties.

The Daily Star Editor and Publisher Mahfuz Anam said despite nearly three decades of female leadership at the top, there has been no proportional improvement in women’s broader political participation.

“It is clear that simply placing women in positions is not enough; the mindset must also change,” he said.

He also pledged the newspaper’s full support for the cause through editorials and continued coverage.

Among others, Dhaka University Gender Studies Professor Tania Haque, UN Women programme manager Tapati Saha, Democracy International senior director Lipika Biswas, and Jamuna TV foreign affairs editor Mahfuz Mishu spoke at the event, moderated by Tanjim Ferdous, head of strategic partnership at The Daily Star.