Only 5 percent of highly educated women in Bangladesh are engaged in jobs or other income-generating activities, exposing a stark gap between women’s educational progress and their participation in the labour market, according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
The ILO also found that women earn 22–25 percent less than men on average. The wage gap remains even after differences in education, age, occupation and type of work are taken into account.
The findings come from the ILO report The Gender Pay Gap in Bangladesh: Trends, Causes and Policy Options, based on analysis of the 2023 Labour Force Survey.
Wide employment gap
In 2023, the employment rate was 77.9 percent for men and 40.2 percent for women, leaving a gap of 37.7 percentage points.
Only 19 percent of employed women were wage workers, compared with 48 percent of men.
Women make up about 35 percent of the country’s highly educated population. Yet only 5 percent of highly educated women are in employment or other income-generating work, the report said.
Women concentrated in lower-paid work
Women are more concentrated in sectors and occupations that generally offer lower pay and fewer opportunities for advancement.
Manufacturing accounts for 41 percent of women’s wage employment, compared with 23 percent for men. Another 19 percent of women work in domestic jobs and 12 percent in education.
Women also remain largely absent from management. Only 6.2 percent of management positions are held by women, against 10.8 percent in South Asia and 30 percent globally.
Informal employment is widespread among both sexes. It accounts for 87 percent of women’s wage employment and 91 percent of men’s.
Unpaid work adds to the burden
Women also carry a far greater share of unpaid household work.
Working women spend an average of 27.7 hours a week on household chores, compared with 7.7 hours for men.
At paid work, women work 46 hours a week on average, against 51.9 hours for men.
The ILO said the heavier household workload limits women’s ability to take higher-paid jobs, work longer hours and advance their careers.
Pay gap persists
The ILO said the gender pay gap cannot be explained simply by differences in education, age, occupation or working hours.
The remaining gap suggests that direct or indirect discrimination may also be involved, the report said.
Bangladesh’s Constitution guarantees equal rights for men and women, while labour law provides for equal pay for work of equal nature. But the ILO said implementation remains limited.
The report also points to weaknesses in wage-setting systems and the concentration of women in low-paid occupations.
ILO calls for stronger action
The ILO recommended stronger enforcement of equal-pay provisions and gender-neutral methods for valuing jobs.
It also called for gender considerations in minimum-wage setting, particularly in sectors where women are concentrated.
Other recommendations include reviewing maternity and paternity leave provisions, improving workplace safety, preventing harassment, and strengthening labour inspection and dispute-resolution mechanisms.
The findings show that rising female education has yet to translate into comparable access to paid work, higher wages and career advancement.