To curb adolescent pregnancies, the commission recommended setting the minimum legal age of marriage at 18 and called for enforcement of the 2023 High Court directive to regulate unnecessary Caesarean deliveries.

In a bold move to dismantle entrenched legal and systemic gender inequalities, the Women’s Affairs Reform Commission has proposed 433 sweeping reforms, urging comprehensive changes across laws, institutions, and policies to ensure full equality for women in Bangladesh.

The 10-member commission submitted its report to Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus yesterday, outlining reforms categorised into three implementation phases — those actionable by the current government, those for the next elected administration, and a visionary set of long-term aspirations.

“This is not just a women’s issue; it’s a matter of national importance,” Yunus said during a handover event at the State Guest House Jamuna. “Let the recommendations that can be implemented quickly be carried out through us. Let us set an example for the world.”

The report was presented at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy by Shireen Huq, commission chair and co-founder of Naripokkho. She stressed that the proposed reforms aim to eradicate legal and institutional discrimination against women in all forms.

Among the most ambitious recommendations is the introduction of a uniform family code to ensure equal rights in marriage, divorce, maintenance, and inheritance — across all religions. The commission also seeks to strike down discriminatory clauses in the Constitution and statutory laws.

Strengthening Protection and Equality

To address violence against women, the commission called for stronger enforcement of the Prevention of Domestic Violence Act-2010, including increased penalties and timely resolution of divorce cases within three years. Additionally, it urged amendments to the Guardians and Wards Act-1890 to ensure equal guardianship and custody rights for mothers.

The report recommends that Bangladesh withdraw its reservations to critical clauses of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and ratify ILO Conventions C189 and C190, which address domestic workers’ rights and workplace harassment.

A dedicated anti-sexual harassment law, built on the 2009 High Court guidelines, and reforms in rape legislation to ensure gender-neutral justice systems with victim-friendly trials and accountability mechanisms were also proposed.

The commission further called for changes to the citizenship law to allow Bangladeshi women to confer nationality on foreign spouses — a right currently reserved for men — and recommended that sex work be decriminalised, with sex workers included under national labour protections.

Rights, Not Welfare

A major headline from the commission’s proposals is a transformative plan to double the number of parliamentary seats from 300 to 600 — reserving half for women through direct elections. This radical move, Huq acknowledged, is likely to raise eyebrows, but she argued it is crucial to bridge the existing gender gap in national representation.

“If an upper house of parliament is formed,” the report said, “50 percent of seats should follow a ‘zipper system’ — alternating male and female party nominees — to ensure gender parity. The rest should include non-partisan voices, particularly from women’s rights movements.”

To ensure more inclusive political participation, the commission called for enforcement of the existing rule mandating 33 percent women’s representation in political parties under the Representation of the People Order. It also proposed institutional reforms within parties to address corruption and create enabling environments for women.

At the local government level, each ward would elect one male and one female representative for the next three election cycles as a temporary affirmative measure.

In the realm of work, the commission urged the replacement of “maternity welfare” with “maternity rights” in labour laws. It recommended 24 weeks of paid maternity leave and two weeks of paid paternity leave across all sectors, along with protections from dismissal during pregnancy.

The commission advocated for formal recognition of domestic and sex workers as labourers, with legal protections and social security. Women’s contributions in the informal economy should also be formally recognised, the report noted.

To support female migrant workers, reforms in migration laws and bilateral agreements with host countries were proposed, along with retraining and reintegration support for returnees. The commission also suggested setting equal minimum wages for men and women in all sectors, and annual revisions to ensure alignment with global living wage standards.

Gender-Based Violence

A key structural recommendation is the establishment of a permanent and independent Women’s Commission, tasked with nationwide oversight of women’s rights. The commission also called for a restructuring of the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs and the creation of Gender Equality Units in every ministry, with mechanisms for accountability, gender-sensitive planning, and monitoring of gender budgets.

To tackle gender-based violence on public transport, specific legal provisions were suggested to ensure safety and accountability. The commission emphasised decentralisation, arguing that empowering local communities would amplify the voices of grassroots women and enable policymakers to respond to their needs more effectively.

The commission also proposed comprehensive sex education, modern curricula for girls aligned with labour market demands, and re-entry pathways into education for child marriage survivors and school dropouts.

To curb adolescent pregnancies, the commission recommended setting the minimum legal age of marriage at 18 and called for enforcement of the 2023 High Court directive to regulate unnecessary Caesarean deliveries.

It also urged revisions to the National Policy on Older Persons (2013) to prioritise elderly women’s health, the establishment of a maternal and neonatal death tracking system, and the inclusion of children with special needs in mainstream education.

Formed in November 2024, the commission comprises a cross-section of legal experts, rights activists, academics, and labour leaders. Alongside Huq, members include Maheen Sultan of Brac Institute, Advocate Kamrun Nahar, labour rights leader Kalpona Akter, Supreme Court lawyer Fawzia Karim Firoze, and student representative Nishita Zaman.

The commission’s report, soon to be printed as a public document, is unprecedented in scope. “The women of the world are watching,” Yunus said. “This report cannot just gather dust. It must live, breathe, and inspire.”