Women of ‘July Uprising’ faded from Bangladesh’s political and state structure after regime collapse: Report

Dhaka, Aug 9 (IANS) Women were among the most visible and effective forces on Bangladesh’s streets during the July Uprising in 2024, but after the collapse of the then Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the visibility of these women rapidly faded from the country’s political and state structures, a report said.

According to a report by The Daily Star, women became a prominent presence across universities and campuses, leading slogans, blocking prison vans, rescuing the injured, providing medical care, and arranging food during the protests in July 2024.

It said that they were not merely participants; they helped in making decisions and shaping the movement’s course.

It raised the question of where the women of July Uprising go, noting that the female leaders and activists point to the political, structural, and social barriers that are keeping women away from positions of power.

According to Shireen Pervin Huq, who led the Women’s Reform Commission formed by the previous interim Muhammad Yunus-led government, women were marginalised from the outset, and her Commission was also excluded initially and faced resistance from various other commissions later.

“On the day we submitted our report, many in the advisory council were excited. But days later, a faction held a rally, professed to annul our report, and hurled abuses at us. The entire advisory council remained silent,” she said, as per the report.

“A Daily Star analysis of 139 posts targeting 15 prominent women from the July movement found that 63 per cent contained sexually suggestive slurs, derogatory language or character assassination, alongside widespread body-shaming,” the report noted.

According to Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen, a former coordinator for private universities, a disagreement with a male politician is countered through logic, while women were subjected to attacks on clothing, personal life and family.

She also questioned if society sees women only as crisis-time assets or considers them as equal partners in state-building.

“Political parties have also failed to turn commitments into meaningful representation. Under the July Charter, political parties were expected to nominate women for at least five per cent of the 300 Parliamentary seats in the national election. None complied,” the report highlighted.

–IANS

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