Introduction

Bangladesh has made notable strides in promoting gender equality over the last decades, especially through the introduction of gender-responsive budgeting initiatives. Since 2005, gender budgeting has been formally included in Bangladesh’s public finance management system, aiming to integrate women’s empowerment and gender equity goals into national and sectoral budgetary frameworks (Ministry of Finance Bangladesh, 2024). These efforts align with global commitments under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5 on Gender Equality (United Nations, 2015). The Gender Budget seeks to ensure that public spending contributes to reducing gender disparities in access to health, education, employment, and public services.

Despite these initiatives, persistent structural challenges continue to undermine the full realization of gender-responsive budgeting. Women, especially those from marginalized communities, still experience systemic exclusion from decision-making processes, inadequate access to essential services, and insufficient investment in economic empowerment initiatives (ActionAid Bangladesh, 2025). Additionally, the absence of reliable gender-disaggregated data and weak local-level monitoring mechanisms hampers evidence-based planning and accountability (UNDP, 2021).

This study, part of the broader “People’s Manifesto” initiative, seeks to bridge this gap by amplifying the voices of grassroots women across nine districts of Bangladesh. Through participatory consultations, the research captured local priorities, systemic barriers, and community-driven recommendations for a more inclusive, equitable, and transformative approach to gender budgeting. Understanding these localized experiences is crucial for shaping national policies and ensuring that gender equality becomes not just a policy aspiration but a lived reality across all regions of Bangladesh.

Objectives

The study was designed to:

• Assess district-specific gender inequalities and challenges.
• Identify gaps between national gender budget priorities and local needs.
• Capture grassroots women’s demands for improved gender-responsive budgeting.

Methodology

Primary data were collected through Key Informant Interviews (KIIs) with local government officials and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) with women’s groups, community leaders, and activists in Dhaka, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Naogaon, Kushtia, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Chattogram, and Bandarban. Findings were validated through district-level public hearings, ensuring authenticity and local ownership of the results.

Findings

The study uncovered stark regional variations in gender-related challenges, deeply influenced by socio-economic, environmental, and cultural factors. Across all districts, women reported significant barriers to accessing health services, economic opportunities, and safe public spaces, with compounded vulnerabilities among women in coastal, flood-prone, and indigenous communities.

In coastal districts like Bagerhat and Satkhira, salinity intrusion and water scarcity have disproportionately affected women’s health, particularly maternal and reproductive health. Salinity-related complications were cited as major contributors to pregnancy-related health risks. Women also face declining agricultural livelihoods due to environmental degradation, with little access to alternative income opportunities. The communities highlighted the urgent need for health services tailored to women’s needs, access to saline-tolerant agricultural inputs, and alternative livelihood programs.

In flood-prone areas such as Kurigram and Gaibandha, displacement and recurring natural disasters exacerbate women’s vulnerability. Women living in char (riverine) areas reported limited access to reproductive health services, safe shelters, and vocational training. Public demands included the establishment of gender-sensitive disaster shelters, enhanced healthcare services for pregnant and lactating women, and increased investments in women’s skill development.

The hilly district of Bandarban presented a unique set of challenges for indigenous women. Geographic isolation, language barriers, and socio-cultural discrimination contribute to lower education rates, limited healthcare access, and exclusion from formal employment systems. Indigenous women called for culturally sensitive education programs, greater investment in women’s cooperatives, and initiatives to promote indigenous women’s participation in local governance.

Urban centers like Dhaka and Chattogram revealed a different dimension of gender inequality. Women in urban slums face heightened risks of gender-based violence, poor sanitation, inadequate maternal healthcare, and limited economic mobility. Participants strongly advocated for women-friendly infrastructure, safe public transport systems, legal support services for survivors of violence, and greater representation of women in local decision-making bodies.

In Naogaon and Kushtia, rural women voiced their concerns about the lack of access to affordable credit, training for entrepreneurial ventures, and safe workplaces. Many expressed frustration at the limited reach of government programs intended to support women’s economic empowerment. There were also concerns about the increasing rate of child marriage, attributed partly to the socio-economic precarity of rural families.

A recurring theme across all districts was the minimal participation of grassroots women in budget formulation and development planning processes. Most women reported that they had neither been consulted nor informed about gender budgeting initiatives at the district level. The absence of gender-disaggregated data further weakened targeted policy formulation and monitoring.

Community-driven demands centered around several key areas: expansion of reproductive and maternal health services, creation of women-only vocational training centers, provision of microfinance and credit for women-led businesses, establishment of safe shelters for victims of violence, and the institutionalization of women’s participation in budget planning.

Discussion

The findings clearly demonstrate that while Bangladesh has made commendable progress in institutionalizing gender-responsive budgeting at the national level, a wide gap remains between policy frameworks and local realities. One of the most striking issues is the mismatch between the allocations presented in the Gender Budget and the actual accessibility and effectiveness of services at the grassroots level.

Despite significant budgetary allocations — Tk 454,211.3 crore across 44 ministries in FY 2024-25 — the impact on the ground remains uneven and insufficient (Ministry of Finance Bangladesh, 2024). In coastal regions, for instance, gender-sensitive budgeting has not adequately addressed the health emergencies arising from environmental stressors such as salinity intrusion. Similarly, in flood-prone areas, disaster preparedness plans often fail to integrate the specific vulnerabilities of women, particularly pregnant women and female-headed households.

Participation remains another critical shortfall. Although gender budgeting intends to make planning more inclusive, local-level women’s voices are largely absent from the decision-making process. This disconnect results in a top-down approach where interventions are designed without adequately understanding or addressing women’s lived experiences. The lack of consultation not only undermines the legitimacy of gender budgeting but also limits its effectiveness in achieving real transformation.

Moreover, the persistent scarcity of gender-disaggregated data restricts the ability of planners and policymakers to design responsive and targeted interventions. Without accurate data on women’s needs, service usage, and outcomes, budgetary decisions are often based on assumptions rather than evidence. This creates a vicious cycle where marginalized women, particularly in rural, indigenous, and disaster-prone areas, continue to be invisible in formal development frameworks.

The findings also expose a missed opportunity regarding women’s economic empowerment. While programs to promote women’s entrepreneurship and employment exist, their scale, accessibility, and relevance remain inadequate. In many rural districts, women reported difficulties accessing credit, training, and markets — critical components for successful economic participation.

Lastly, the issue of gender-based violence emerged as a cross-cutting concern. From the hills of Bandarban to the slums of Dhaka, women expressed fear and frustration at the pervasive threat of violence and the limited availability of support services. Budget allocations for prevention, legal support, and rehabilitation services remain minimal and fragmented across sectors.

Addressing these systemic challenges requires a fundamental shift in the way gender budgeting is approached. It demands not only increased allocations but also a transformation of budgeting processes to be genuinely participatory, evidence-driven, and locally responsive. Without such a shift, gender budgeting risks becoming a symbolic exercise rather than a transformative tool for equity and empowerment.

Recommendations

1. Enhance Participation of Grassroots Women in Budget Planning

Institutionalize mechanisms for engaging grassroots women, particularly from marginalized communities, in all stages of budget formulation, implementation, and evaluation at the district level.

2. Improve Gender-Disaggregated Data Collection and Analysis

Invest in comprehensive gender-disaggregated data systems to inform evidence-based planning, budgeting, and monitoring at both national and district levels.

3. Expand Investment in Women’s Health and Safety

Prioritize funding for reproductive and maternal health services, safe shelters for survivors of violence, legal aid centers, and gender-sensitive disaster management systems.

4. Promote Women’s Economic Empowerment

Increase allocations for women’s skill development, entrepreneurship support programs, microfinance schemes, and market linkages, especially in rural and climate-affected regions.

5. Mainstream Gender Across All Development Sectors

Ensure that gender perspectives are fully integrated into all sectoral policies, including health, education, agriculture, urban development, and climate resilience initiatives.

6. Strengthen Monitoring, Transparency, and Accountability

Develop gender-responsive budgeting scorecards, district-level expenditure dashboards, and public reporting mechanisms to promote transparency and ensure accountability in gender budgeting practices.

Conclusion

The “People’s Manifesto” shines a light on the persistent gaps between Bangladesh’s ambitious gender equality frameworks and the lived realities of women across diverse regions. While gender-responsive budgeting has set an important precedent, much more needs to be done to ensure that budgets translate into tangible improvements in women’s lives. Centering the voices of grassroots women, investing in critical services, expanding economic opportunities, and institutionalizing accountability mechanisms are essential steps forward. True gender equity in budgeting will only be realized when women are not only beneficiaries of policies but active architects of the country’s development journey.

References

• ActionAid Bangladesh. (2025). People’s Manifesto: Voices from the Ground on Gender, Climate, and Youth Budgets. Dhaka: ActionAid Bangladesh.
• Ministry of Finance Bangladesh. (2024). Gender Budget Report FY 2024-25. Dhaka: Government of Bangladesh.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). (2021). Participatory Budgeting for Gender Equality: Best Practices and Lessons Learned. New York: UNDP.

United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. New York: United Nations.