Women’s Empowerment and Identity

The text “Women’s Empowerment and Identity” taken from Selected Columns of Taslima Nasrin features in B.Ed. 1^st Year’s General English book (Tribhuvan University). The summary of the text is provided below:

Bangladesh has woman Prime Minister. But it doesn’t mean that the status of women in Bangladesh is good, or that women are treated as equal to men. Only a handful of women have reached the positions of power, and that too not on their own merits, but with the support of their husbands and fathers. As a result, they remain largely under the influence of the men, and do only what they are told by these men.

The discrimination between men and women can be seen even when these women have reached the top ranks of authority. According to the Islamic law, both men and women should cover their head. But while the male politicians do not wear caps, the women, as soon as they enter the politics, are made to cover their head with the end of their saris. These women lack the courage to challenge such discriminatory practices.

Taslima Nasreen accuses such women in power of deceiving themselves and all women in general, for despite being in power they haven’t done anything for the cause of women. The situation of child marriage, polygamy, rape, kidnapping, and buying and selling of women is the same in Bangladesh. She urges the women in power to speak and act for the rights, freedom, and empowerment of all women.