While growing up in the 90s, BTV, the only television channel in the country, used to air an awareness film featuring Kangalini Sufia regarding gender pay gap. While the jingle became a hit, the key communication did not become a topic of discussion as expected. After nearly thirty years, recent reports, like the one from the World Bank Group on the global gender gap, shows that Bangladesh is still not making much progress in areas like mobility, workplace equality, pay, marriage, parenthood, entrepreneurship, assets, and pensions. In fact, we are not even at par with regional standards and the metrics have not improved since the last reporting period. I found it quite disheartening, as we all know that most of the labour force employed in our RMG industry, are female, and we are not giving them what they deserve, let alone recognising their contribution. Maybe, we are yet to change our mindset and rethink our position because ‘not remembering’ about the special needs of women is deep rooted. I recall, when Unilever shifted its Corporate Office from Chattogram to ZN Tower in Dhaka, we encountered a significant oversight in the building’s original design; there was only one female washroom across the five floors that we occupied. During the construction of the building, this concern was overlooked and later, we had to reconfigure the entire building for a more suitable layout.

 

Inclusion is not just a ‘good-to-have’ for organisations - it is essential for sustainable business growth. According to research, inclusion in any organisation results in better-performing, more innovative teams which are 70% more likely to bring better results. So, if you are thinking of growth, think of inclusion as a strategy, which I have also experienced firsthand. 

 

I started my career in field sales, and I remember that there was a prevalent perception that females are not fit for field roles, which was a problem because without the right understanding of the retail environment, it becomes difficult to perform as leaders, especially in Sales and Marketing functions. So essentially, the perception was not only reserving these roles for males, but also creating a glass-ceiling for women in leadership roles. Even after breaking the barriers of stereotyping, things were very difficult in the beginning. When women initially started working in the field roles, the industry faced challenges in retaining them due to the lack of availability of necessities, like female washroom facilities in the retail environment. However, with relentless strides, once the amenities were ensured, the result was inspiring because within a few years, we were able to attract more female talents who began to voice their needs in our conversations. The glass ceiling was broken and today, many females are thriving in field leadership roles.

 

However, even for the most progressive organisations in Bangladesh, the journey towards inclusion is far from complete. Throughout my career, I have encountered numerous instances where exceptionally talented females were held back by their responsibilities at home or our notions of what ‘women needs to do’ . It is disheartening to witness such talents and ambitions being curtailed, not by a lack of capability, but by societal expectations and structural limitations. This reality paints a vivid picture of the imbalance still present in our professional landscapes. We need to be active allies, with progressive policies that empower women to balance their professional and personal lives. However, I feel optimistic when I see initiatives to structurally create opportunities for women with career breaks or cross-industry collaboration to set inclusion standards. But our commitment must be unwavering until true parity is achieved, and women are offered fair opportunities. It is not just about meeting a specific inclusion percentage and then considering the job done. There are countless major and minor actions still needed to make women feel fully included. Often, even a small adjustment can have a transformative impact on someone's life.

We, as a community, need to constantly challenge traditional norms to create fair opportunities, for not just women, but everyone. From incorporating women and disability-friendly facilities, to integrating transgender individuals and People with Disabilities (PwD) into our operations, we can break stereotypes and rethink the status quo, and this, in return, will give us superior performance. Ensuring inclusion will not only help business organisations, but also will positively impact the economic. According to World Bank Group Chief Economist, Indermit Gill, inclusion can boost GDP by 20%. So, Inclusion is essential to transform our country to a high-income nation by 2041, and to grow as a nation. 

We still have 267 years to go before women achieve parity with men in economic participation and opportunity. Occasions like International Women's Day are important because this helps us to initiate conversations and renew our commitments on inclusion. Above all, it helps us change our mindset.

It will only make us, as individuals, as businesses and as a nation, stronger, if we #InspireInclusion.