As Bangladesh approaches the 2026 elections, female candidate numbers have hit a record low of under 4%. Despite women’s vital roles in the July 2024 uprising, BIGD research shows they remain excluded from core decision-making. Structural barriers, conservative backlash, and patriarchal gatekeeping continue to treat women’s leadership as symbolic, leaving them visible in protests but absent from formal power.
As Bangladesh approaches the 2026 elections, female candidate numbers have hit a record low of under 4%. Despite women’s vital roles in the July 2024 uprising, BIGD research shows they remain excluded from core decision-making. Structural barriers, conservative backlash, and patriarchal gatekeeping continue to treat women’s leadership as symbolic, leaving them visible in protests but absent from formal power.
