Women of Bangladesh's July Uprising face political marginalization

A report by The Daily Star indicates that women, who played a central role during Bangladesh's 2024 July Uprising, are increasingly being marginalized from the country's political and state structures following the collapse of the Awami League government.

During the protests, women were highly visible in leadership roles, providing medical care, and participating in decision-making. However, female activists cite structural, social, and political barriers as reasons for their exclusion from power. Shireen Pervin Huq, head of the Women’s Reform Commission under the interim government, noted that her commission faced resistance and was initially excluded.

Furthermore, the report highlights a trend of character assassination against female leaders, with an analysis of 139 posts targeting 15 prominent women finding that 63 percent contained "sexually suggestive slurs, derogatory language or character assassination, alongside widespread body-shaming." Additionally, political parties have reportedly failed to meet the July Charter's commitment to nominate women for at least five percent of the 300 Parliamentary seats in the upcoming national election.