Abstract

East West University

Submitted by:

Samia Afrin
ID: 2021-2-91-008
Course: EMBA 503
Section: 01
Date: 20th September, 2021
1a. Perception about women in 1970s in Bangladesh

Long before the independence of Bangladesh, various women’s rights groups have challenged
gender discrimination in the political, social, economic and cultural spheres and have achieved
remarkable successes. Yet, power, resources and influence are still far from being equally
distributed between men and women as the structures in theses spheres are often more favorable
for men. Fortunately, the right to equal suffrage, a basic right that women worldwide had to fight
decades for, has been enjoyed by Bengali women since 1947. Besides guaranteeing women the
same voting rights as men, the constitution of Bangladesh, which was adopted in 1972, also
expressly dictates provisions in favor of women which are apt to be viewed as historical in the
context of women empowerment in the Bangladesh of the 70’s. women. It has formulated and
implemented policies and programs that improve the conditions for women. In 1971 Bengali
women exemplified bravery by running into the battlefield to fight Bangladesh’s Liberation War,
shattering stereotypes in the process. Time and again, Bangladeshi women have illustrated how
the female gender is not a synonym for weakness. Education is a basic human right, but for a
developing nation like Bangladesh, attention needs to be paid to female education in particular. It
was a common practice in rural households to not send their young daughters to schools back
then, as they believe females are born to solely run households. Over the years, women’s
organizations and feminist organizations have mobilized around various issues including:
women’s political participation, economic empowerment, gender mainstreaming in public
policies, education, violence against women etc. (259 words)

1b. Perception about women in 1970s in HBS

In 1970s there was slow growth of women in HBS. Eight women had first enrolled in Harvard
Business School's traditional MBA program in 1963. Male student member felt that women
students were taking unnecessary seats. HBS professors' attitudes toward women were a mixed
too. As early as the 1940s and into the 1960s, several HBS faculty members would cross the
Charles River to teach business administration courses to students at Radcliffe College,
indicating a personal commitment to educating women well before they were officially admitted
into the full two-year MBA Program. In 1965, the School hired an administrative assistant to the
Dean, whose main responsibility was to recruit women and make sure they received moral
support during their time at HBS. Many professors joined the charge, actively encouraging
women to apply to HBS. But others were uncomfortable with women in the classroom. A 1971
alumna said several professors who never called on a woman in class "unless it was a discussion
of a woman's product." A Class of 1973 alumna recalls professors "who, in the middle of a class,
would look at the women and the African Americans and say, 'Is this too difficult for you?' " By
1985 women made up 25 percent of the graduating MBA class and Professor Regina Herzlinger
(DBA 1971) was becoming the first female faculty member to receive an endowed chair at HBS.
Still, anecdotes reveal an ongoing "obliviousness" on the part of the administration. A 1982
alumna says, "We still had urinals in the women's restrooms almost 20 years after women had
been admitted.” So it was pretty clear that Harvard hadn't quite embraced women at that time.
(275 words)
1c. Perception about women in 21st century in Bangladesh

In a developing country like Bangladesh, which is one of the most promising emerging
economies, it is absolutely crucial that investment is being made in order to groom the labour
force of tomorrow. During the past decades, Bangladesh has improved its education policies; and
the access of girls to education has increased. In the 1990s, girls' enrolment in primary school has
increased rapidly. Although there is now gender parity in enrolments at the primary and lower
secondary school level, the percentage of girls drops in the later secondary school years. Over
three decades ago, in the year 1988, March 8 was first observed in Bangladesh as International
Women's Day. The women's movement has always been deeply rooted in this society. As we
move from one era to another, we can trace overarching themes of eliminating violence against
women, fighting for reproductive rights, striving for political and economic empowerment,
resisting religious subordination and ensuring public roles. The movement has been involved in
fighting for legal rights, challenging existing discourse, increasing representation, pushing for
policy changes and, most importantly, challenging mind-sets in a repressive patriarchal society.
This is a glimpse into the journey across a century – one of great adversaries and greater women.
(201 words)

1d. Perception about women in 21st century in HBS

By 2005, 35% of students in the MBA program were women. There were more women and other
minority students in the HBS classroom and they were also vocal participants in debate. Female
students also increasingly arrived at HBS with experience and credentials comparable to those of
their male classmates. According to some alumna the school became more inclusive and
respectful. But some of them found themselves lonely at HBS. There was still a sense that
women aren’t supposed to be in certain roles. Students encountered greater diversity in the
classroom. A 2010 alumna reported being surprised and impressed by the school’s diversity and
by the degree to which diversity was celebrated. Students were learning that happens in the
classroom changed the way that people think about different races, ethnicities, religions, gender
issues. Many of the people we’re here with will be shaping the world. A 2012 alumna described
an end-of-year “appreciation” of a required curriculum faculty member: This professor was
extremely talented, one of the best professors. She also was one of the only female professors the
section had. The men in that section and another section took to calling her a derisive pet name.
It was a joke, but it was also a way to took away her credibility; they would not have done it to a
male professor. At the end of the first year, our section was going through end-of-year
reflections, and one of the section leaders stood up and told her what they liked the most about
her was that she was the most attractive professor at HBS. And that was all they said about her.
And it was very sad, because she was actually incredibly outstanding as a teacher. Before she
could speak, one of the women said it was inappropriate. Despite past efforts to develop cases
with female protagonists, many 2011 alumnae also mentioned an ongoing shortage of such cases.
(316 words)
2a. Perception about women in the marriage market of Bangladesh 1970s

Early marriage was a widespread problem in Bangladesh in 1970s. Child marriage has serious
consequences for girls.  Marrying early significantly increases the chances that they will drop out
of school, limiting their future choices. When I began interviewing women born around the 1940s
about their lives I had not expected adult education to be such a central theme. During interview I was
struck by the fact women kept telling me that they had left school at 15 or 16 but had gained
qualifications later in life. I felt that this was a historically significant and neglected trend that could
potentially expand our conception of education and mobility in this period. Further and higher education
participation in the 1970s are not of very high. Returning to education as an adult was a key catalyst for
women’s social mobility in 1970s. The great thing about interviewing is that I came to know about
people’s capacity to surprise and that lives have many twists and turns. I have interviewed 05 women who
was born during 1950s. An interviewee said, “During 1970s parents first priority was their
daughter getting married in early age which was under 15 years.” She further said, “Education was
not considered as a quality for marriage, in fact people do not care if the girl was illiterate.” According to
most of the interviewee, “Girls who marry young face intense pressure to become pregnant back
then, and it is estimated that a third of girls aged between fifteen and nineteen are mothers or are
pregnant.” Early pregnancy carries significant health risks as well as limiting their education and
career option. Early marriage is a widespread problem in Bangladesh, which has the world’s
worst record on child marriage: according to UNICEF, nearly two-thirds of girls are married
before the age of eighteen. More than a quarter of girls are married before they reach fifteen.
Poverty and a traditional society combine, particularly in rural areas, to keep the rate of child
marriage elevated despite national legislation.  Young girls are often considered an economic
burden to their families; prevailing cultural attitudes mean that it is still difficult for girls to work
and earn an income. (361words)

2b. Perception about women in the marriage market of Bangladesh in the 21st
century

The overall marriage market scenario has improved in 21 st century. With regard to age at
marriage of the present and earlier generation the average ages of marriage of daughters has
increased. It is most important to note that the age at marriage of the female members was found
less than the age of male members at marriage in both generations of families. In my survey,
most of the respondents referred to awareness about consequences of early marriage, impact and
implication of marriage related laws, expansion of educational programs activities and increased
scope of education, employment and empowerment of women, decrease in socio- religious
superstition and prejudice and desire for self-reliance as significant factors behind increasing age
at marriage. In this respect, the other factors include increased enrolment in higher education and
desire for happiness in conjugal life, role of local leadership and Union Parishad, government
and NGOs’ initiatives i.e. awareness campaigns, workshops and trainings about implication of
birth registration. In urban areas unmarried young population become more ambitious and
careful for their career and take time to get married. Education and career goals now considered
as quality of woman in marriage. On the contrary, most respondents opined that in some cases
the age at marriage is being decreased among the rural people in Bangladesh. According to them,
the reasons behind decreasing age at marriage included lack of social security for women, lack of
awareness, involvement in income earning activities, prevailing dowry systems, long standing
practice and tradition of rural people. (250 Words)

3a. Challenges in work/life balance for working moms in Bangladesh in the

millennium
Bangladeshi society considers motherhood the most desirable role for the women. And family
responsibilities are more important for women than personal careers. Interestingly, even educated girls in
urban Dhaka are still trained by their mothers to be submissive and taught the virtues of patience and
sacrifice, as marriage is viewed as the main goal of a Bangladeshi woman's life. Girls also learn to accept
their inferior status in the society and to fit into socially acceptable roles. However, it is an accepted norm
that a husband needs his wife mainly to perform the domestic roles and satisfy his wishes, while a wife
needs a husband as her provider in all respects. Only when a woman performs her socially designated
roles and efficiently will she be ensured a position of some dignity within the family. In Bangladesh,
women have been participating and contributing remarkably in our economy. Despite of it,
working women experience various obstacles in their personal as well as professional life.
Women are struggling to balance between work-life which ultimately hampering their social life.
In today’s world, the concept “work-life balance” is considered to be one of the major issues that
play a vital role in organizational success. One woman I interviewed said, “lack of family support
was an issue but it is not as extensive as professional challenges.” Surveys and depth interviews
of highlighted the fact that working women of today’s generation faces more professional
challenges than family obstacles. Among five of the women I interviewed three of them said that
women faced problems to maintain balance between work-life mainly because of professional
challenges they face every day. These challenges were including long working hours, lack of
supervisory support, work overload, absence of strong policies for women. Other women said,
“after marriage it became harder to make balance in personal and work life.” She was facing
psychological break down due to imbalance between work-life. Eventually it became harder after
the birth of her first child and she had to quit her job. In the new Millennium of 2000s, many
companies offering maternity leave period, flexible working hours, child day care facilities and
better work environments. A supportive management is required to minimize the work-life
conflict. A well-defined policy is mandatory to maintain harmony between work and life.
Keeping the work environment attractive and flexible is the key success of maintaining work-life
balance in the organization. Furthermore, human resource department should promote policies,
which incorporates corporate social responsibility, employee well-being and work-life balance
for women. Another interviewee said, “Since all of the family members are working, they cannot
help her even though they want to.” When interviewees were asked how much support they get
from their colleagues, everyone responded in a positive manner. According to the women who
have been interviewed, a supportive supervisor can help tremendously in balancing between
work-life. One of the interviewee’s who work in private firm said that if her supervisor was a bit
supportive and understanding she could have a balanced work-life. Since her supervisor does not
communicate with her clearly and does not give her clear direction of work, she faces problems
in order to complete her daily tasks which resulted long working hours and create unnecessary
mental stress. When the interviewees were asked about how much support they get from their
family, 3 of them positively replied and said they get enough support from their family. One of
the interviewees said that her family supports her but she expects a little bit more support from
them. (584 words)
3b. Challenges in work/life balance for working moms in HBS

Many MBA graduates faced the dilemma of choosing between family or work. And this seemed
to be an issue with almost all the women students who were pursuing or already have pursued
MBA program at HBS. In 1990s alumnaes MBA couple, who married soon after graduating
explained the career decisions they faced at the time. The husband recalled that his wife had a
job offer in New York and was all set to take it. It was her dream job, but he wanted to move to
California. She made a huge sacrifice and agreed to go with him without knowing what she was
going to do there. Once woman had kids the job situation became somewhat complicated. HBS
gave them all the choices that, but apart from having a very fulfilling personal life, that it
generated the greatest career for women. But that was not the fault of the school. The degree, to
this day, still provides women respect among prospective employers. At the time, circle of
friends and colleagues did not value full-time motherhood as much as they did the banker at
Goldman Sachs. Their husband had similar educational and professional backgrounds and had
equal potential for forward movement as well as to be the breadwinner in the family. Many
couples decided that it would be best for the wife to stay home. It was difficult to be the ‘wife’
and after becoming mother it became harder to make a balanced work-life. Alumnae reported
that they still bore the greater burden in family-career trade-off decisions. Husbands were more
around stability and just having the resources to provide, while wives was around timing - a 2012
alumna characterized the dilemma more broadly as one dimension of career planning: “Women
have to make their own decisions, and they have to figure out their own leadership style, no
different than men. And they have to navigate their careers, no different than men.” The working
wives face challenges differing from those of house wives, because in most cases the working
wives' multiple role involvement disturbs other people's expectations and their great range of
demands. However, under inherited gender norms working women specially working moms find
themselves torn and tired, and suffer from guilt when working outside, guilt that they may be
neglecting their children and home. There is no doubt that wives often enter work, marriage or
parenthood with fixed role expectations of themselves and others, but later fail to fulfill those
expectations. This brings about a conflict between what they expect and experience. This can
happen when one is either required to play two roles at the same time, or to play different roles
successively in relation to the same person. Majority of working wives who favor sharing
housework at all times between spouses, think that would result in less conflict. But in reality,
they experienced maximum maladjustment. (477 Words)

____________________