Bangladesh women who played key roles in the July Uprising have reportedly faded from political and state structures after the regime collapse. A report highlights barriers, online abuse, limited political representation and concerns over whether women are being treated as equal partners in Bangladesh’s post-uprising state-building process.
Women emerged as some of the most visible and active participants in Bangladesh’s July Uprising in 2024, playing significant roles across university campuses and protest sites. However, following the collapse of the then Awami League government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, many of these women have reportedly seen their visibility and influence decline within Bangladesh’s political and state structures, according to a report by The Daily Star.
The report highlighted the important contribution of women during the mass protests, noting that they were not simply present as supporters but actively participated in organising and shaping the movement. Women were visible at universities and campuses, where they led slogans, blocked prison vans, helped rescue injured protesters, provided medical assistance and arranged food for those involved in the demonstrations.
Their involvement extended beyond supporting roles, with several women participating in decision-making and contributing to the direction of the movement. Despite this prominent role during the uprising, the report questioned where the women who helped drive the movement have gone since the political transition.
Female leaders and activists interviewed in the report pointed to political, structural and social barriers that continue to prevent women from securing meaningful positions of influence. They argued that the visibility women gained during the crisis did not translate into comparable representation in political and state institutions after the regime change.
Shireen Pervin Huq, who led the Women’s Reform Commission established by the previous interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, said women faced marginalisation from the beginning. She also described resistance faced by the commission after it submitted its recommendations.
According to Huq, although several members of the advisory council initially reacted positively to the commission’s report, opposition emerged shortly afterward. She said a faction organised a rally seeking to annul the report and subjected members to verbal abuse, while the advisory council remained silent.
The report also drew attention to the online harassment faced by prominent women associated with the July movement. A Daily Star analysis of 139 social media posts targeting 15 prominent women found that 63 per cent contained sexually suggestive slurs, derogatory language or character attacks. Body-shaming was also reported to be widespread.
Nafsin Mehanaz Azireen, a former coordinator for private universities, described a gender-based difference in how political disagreements are handled. She said disagreements involving male politicians tend to be addressed through arguments and logic, while women often face attacks focusing on their clothing, personal lives and families.
Azireen questioned whether women are viewed primarily as crisis-time participants rather than equal partners in building the state. Her comments underline the broader concern raised by activists that women’s contributions during moments of political upheaval have not necessarily translated into lasting political empowerment.
The report also examined the role of political parties in ensuring women’s representation. Under the July Charter, political parties were expected to nominate women for at least five per cent of the 300 seats in Bangladesh’s national Parliament. However, the report said that none of the political parties complied with the provision.
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The findings raise questions about the gap between women’s participation in mass movements and their representation in formal political institutions. While women played a prominent role on the streets during the July Uprising, activists argue that their presence has diminished in the political and state structures that emerged afterward.
The situation has renewed discussion over women’s representation, political participation and institutional equality in Bangladesh. For many activists involved in the uprising, the central question remains whether the women who helped shape a major political movement will be given an equal opportunity to participate in shaping the country’s future.
