Women’s employment plays a significant role in the socio-economic progress in any
country. To achieve sustainable development, women’s enrollment in economic activities
is urgently needed. Participation of women in the labour force can change the dynamics
of the entire labour market. In Bangladesh, the economic contribution of women is
substantial but they are not largely acknowledged. To steer up the economy of the
country towards growth and development, women involvement in labour market is
urgently needed. Moreover, the employment status of women in Bangladesh is still lower
than that of the expected level. Gender equality and empowerment of women is one of
the major targets of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as pursued by the
government of Bangladesh. The mainstream economic activities of women can empower
and reduce their inequality. Economic opportunity allows women to be independent and
lead their lives with dignity. Unfortunately, women do not have the same job
opportunities in their working age compared to men. A common scenario is that women
are often steered into low payment and less desirable jobs for which they may suffer for
their entire lives.

In Bangladesh, women are mainly involved in informal jobs compared to men. The
reality of the informal economy for women is more severe. Moreover, low payment,
social insecurity, lack of good working environment and scarcity of voice in decision,
shortage of equal access to resources and services makes women vulnerable and leads to
exploitation. The social and religious cultures of Bangladesh consider women to be
‘physically weaker’ than men and therefore, the women are restricted to join the
economic activity outside the home. Moreover, women friendly working environment as
well as employment opportunities is limited here. As a result, the general employment
status of women is lower.

Bangladeshi women are still facing the brunt of global challenges, through the
feminization of poverty, illness and the burden of unpaid work. In addition, poor
infrastructure, higher rate of unemployment, rate of erratic inflation, early marriage,
lower health consciousness, less empowerment of women, political instability, corruption
and a slow implementation of economic reforms etc, are the obstacles for not allowing
further equitable development as well as the progress of women in the country. The
earning capacity of women helps to make societies and economies healthier and
sustainable. Therefore, an effort is made in this chapter to highlight the employment
status of women in Bangladesh so that a clear scenario can be stated which might be very
helpful in formulating new policies and programs regarding women-related phenomenon.