In a significant stride towards gender equality, Bangladesh has witnessed a commendable increase in the number of female diplomats representing the nation. Half a century ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh was an exclusively male domain, devoid of any female presence. However, recent years have marked a transformative era in this sector, showcasing a remarkable transition in the country’s diplomatic landscape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From a starting point of zero, the nation now boasts approximately 50-60 women diplomats out of a total of around 300, demonstrating their capabilities alongside their male colleagues. These women are not only active in various capacities at the headquarters in Dhaka but also represent Bangladesh effectively on the international front.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The progress is particularly notable in the leadership roles women have taken on. Presently, eight of the country\u2019s 58 embassies and high commissions are headed by women. This includes prestigious positions such as the Consul General of the Bangladesh Consulate General in New York, and six Director Generals leading significant wings at the headquarters. The journey from five female ambassadors in 2017 to eight in the current year reflects a steady upward trajectory in women’s representation in diplomacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Foreign Ministry’s first woman officer, Mahmuda Haque Choudhury, set the precedent in 1972. She not only broke the gender barrier but also went on to become Bangladesh’s first female ambassador, serving in Bhutan from 1996 to 1998. Following in her footsteps, Nasim Firdaus emerged as the country’s first female diplomat from the foreign service cadre in 1977, later becoming the ambassador to Indonesia in 2002.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Among the notable names in the current roster of female diplomats are Rabab Fatima, the Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Sultana Laila Hossain in Morocco, Mashfee Binte Shams in Nepal, and Saida Muna Tasneem as the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Others like Samina Naz, Abida Islam, Nahida Sobhan, and Rezina Ahmed are serving as ambassadors and high commissioners in various countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The increasing number of women in diplomacy has been propelled by a conscious push for women empowerment, with policies like a 10% quota for women aiding this progress. The journey of these women diplomats is not just about fulfilling criteria like their male counterparts but also about breaking stereotypes and balancing professional and family responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This positive trend has been acknowledged and praised by their male colleagues as well, who recognize the significant contributions made by female diplomats in advancing Bangladesh’s interests globally. The gradual yet steady increase in the number of women diplomats signifies a broader change in societal attitudes and a move towards greater gender equality in Bangladesh.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In a significant stride towards gender equality, Bangladesh has witnessed a commendable increase in the number of female diplomats representing the nation. Half a century ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh was an exclusively male domain, devoid of any female presence. However, recent years have marked a transformative era in this sector, showcasing […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3027,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3026","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-5"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3026","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3026"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3026\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3028,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3026\/revisions\/3028"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3027"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3026"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3026"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hernet.news\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3026"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}