Reciprocity, Distancing, and Opportunistic Overtures: Women's Organisations Negotiating Legitimacy and Space in Bangladesh

Abstract

By focusing on three different national level women's organisations in Bangladesh, this article looks at how the movements have used different strategies to become an effective voice for women's interests and empowerment at civil society and state levels. The importance of framing their issues in a non-contentious way, building alliances with like-minded groups and the strength of personal networks can be clearly seen. Reaching out to these diverse groups has meant the organisations at times making strategic choices, which allowed the groups to create space and legitimacy for their agenda. Relying on personal networks is shown to carry certain risks for sustainability and their ineffective engagement with political parties can reduce their influence, but ultimately their strategies for mobilising support and building constituencies has gained these organisations greater legitimacy and strength as advocates of women's issues.

National Discourses on Women's Empowerment in Bangladesh: Continuities and Change

“…Moreover, it denies these national actors agency in influencing (if not moulding) the women's empowerment and development discourse in Bangladesh. Very few studies, whether academic research or evaluation/assessment reports, have focused on how women's organisations, social movement oriented NGOs, or other actors have creatively used these international discourses on empowerment to create pressure on the state to address women's strategic interests (Nazneen and Sultan 2010). Certainly, we do not suggest that women's organisations or NGOs are not influenced by the GAD discourse or their need to secure funds has not led to shifts in their programmes on gender.…”

“…Undeniably, the state (and NGO) gender and development agenda in the 1970s and 1980s was strongly influenced by donor funding (Goetz 2001). Analysis and critiques of this influence are extensively discussed by Bangladeshi feminist researchers and activists located both in and outside Bangladesh (Jahan 1995;Chowdhury 2001;Shehabuddin 2008;Nazneen and Sultan 2009;Halim Chowdhury 2009). This critique was at a nascent stage when Alam and Matin (1984) were writing.…”

“…The sophisticated and complex concepts of empowerment in use by these women's organisations include recognition that pathways are not linear and progress in one area can be hampered by lack of rights in another. BMP texts note the need to establish women's rights and equality in all spheres, and while they do not explicitly make the link between private and public domains of empowerment, members recognise these to be equally crucial for women's empowerment (Nazneen and Sultan 2009). …”

A Silver Lining: Women in Reserved Seats in Local Government in Bangladesh

“…Given the history of military rule and the polarised nature of civil society among two party camps, feminist groups in Bangladesh have been reluctant to engage with political parties, since this undermines their credibility and legitimacy. Although feminist groups have interacted with the female UP members, female MPs and women's wings of political parties; these interactions, while sincere and illuminating, have not led to changes in mainstream politics (Nazneen and Sultan 2009). Perhaps both groups, feminists and women representatives, have to explore alternative ways of engagement and create an understanding that, without women's inclusion and equal participation in all decisionmaking structures, the project of democratisation remains incomplete (Alcântara Costa 2010).…”

“…Having gained independence in 1971, it is now a democratic, moderate Muslim state with a parliamentary system. But despite the existence of reserved seats and a vibrant feminist movement (Jahan 1995), the political and administrative structure, culture and norms are gender biased (Nazneen and Sultan 2009). The two major political parties are led by women, Sheikh Hasina and Khaleda Zia and, between them, they have held the posts of prime minister and leader of the opposition since 1991.…”