Strengthening System Actors to Overcome Gender Barriers in the Bangladesh Seed Sector
Participants in the gender sensitization workshop in Khulna.
“It was encouraging to see many of my male counterparts participating in today’s workshop. The sessions contained important insights to shape mindsets that contribute to an inclusive and female-friendly working environment.”
Ms. Rubayet Ara, an Assistant Regional Seed Certification Officer based in Khulna
Bangladesh has made significant progress in promoting women's participation in various sectors, including the government. The Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, however, recently reported that women constituted only 19.6 percent of civil servants in public administration, with even fewer women occupying senior positions like Secretary or Divisional Commissioner. Considering that women make up about half of Bangladesh’s population, their minimal participation in policy processes results in social and economic development that is not inclusive and fails to address specific needs and priorities of women across all sectors.
To address this barrier to an inclusive and sustainable agriculture policy environment, Policy LINK’s team in Bangladesh—known as the Bangladesh Agricultural Policy Activity—hosted a series of gender sensitization workshops with select government officials and members of the Bangladesh Seed Association, the apex private sector platform for seed, at the regional and national levels. The 12 workshops, which took place between May and July 2023 and included regional sessions in Khulna, Barishal, Jashore, Cox’s Bazar, and Bandarban districts, engaged a total of 336 participants. The workshops aimed to improve the participants’ ability to maintain gender sensitivity when delivering services and encourage them to examine policies through a gender lens.
The introductory segment aimed to assist participants in understanding the role gender plays in various facets of everyone’s life journey and being aware of the knowledge (i.e. fostering an inclusive mindset and associated behaviors) necessary for advancing gender equality in their daily lives and work. The subsequent sessions focused on building and strengthening participants' skills in gender analysis, identifying gender gaps within the seed sector, and exploring the engagement of male counterparts in ensuring gender equality.
Topics of discussion included the commitments and obligations of government and civil society organizations involved in the seed sector. These commitments are derived, in part, from the Constitution of Bangladesh as well as important policy documents such as the National Women Development Policy 2011, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), the Beijing Platform for Action, and the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) on “achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.”
Despite several challenges, such as scheduling conflicts due to seed business seasons and participants arriving late, the workshops were successful in generating a positive impact. Participants recognized the need to empower women in agriculture and entrepreneurship, support rural women in courtyard gardening, and promote positive and transformative masculinity. However, some participants still held traditional gender stereotypes, believing that women are better suited for reproductive roles rather than professional or career-based ones.
While participants were serious and engaged, some still held stereotypical beliefs about gender roles. There was a perception that women were not capable of productive roles and that their role as supportive wives was sufficient. The majority of the participants recognized that one workshop alone would not completely change mindsets, but it opened a window for further nurturing and follow-up activities to track participants' progress. The inclusion of a “talk show”-inspired exercise during the workshop, in which a member of the Policy LINK team interviewed panelists about their perceptions of gender roles, allowed participants to share their experiences and provide comments, further enriching the discussions.
Overall, the series of gender sensitization workshops organized by Policy LINK was a successful starting point for increased awareness, helped to sensitize participants on gender analysis, and fostered discussions on gender equality within the seed sector. The workshops created a platform for participants to reflect on their own beliefs and commit to promoting gender equality in their personal and professional lives.