Women in Administration –

Public and Private

 Increasing the proportion of women in public
institutions makes them more representative,
increases innovation, improves decision-making
and benefits whole societies” - António Guterres,
United Nations Secretary-General, Message on
International Women’s Day 2017 
What is public Administration ?
• Public administration refers to the aggregate state-funded machinery, including agencies, policies and
services, in charge of the management and implementation of laws, regulations and decisions of the
government. It enables countries to implement national policies and programmes and is essential in driving
sustainable development[1].
• The Sustainable Development Goals set a clear target that by 2030 the world will strive to achieve women’s
full and effective participation at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life. To
balance out existing inequalities, countries must make profound changes to ensure women have better access
and opportunities to lead the institutions that govern our societies.

• Women’s participation and leadership in the civil service is important for ensuring truly inclusive
development and democratic governance, as well as enhancing the sustainability and responsiveness of public
policies implemented by governments that mirror the diversity of the populations they serve.
• In many countries, public institutions continue to be male-dominated and patriarchal, perpetuating harmful,
and sometimes violent, attitudes and practices.
• Although there is no global baseline on women’s participation in public administration, existing research
from UNDP shows that women are under-represented, especially in leadership and decision-making roles.
• The available data suggests that women make up on average 45% of public administration, yet there is high
variation of women’s participation across countries, ranging from 3% to 77%. The overall share of women in
public administration is highest, on average, in OECD countries (55.1%), and lowest in the Arab States
(35.9%).
• However, when looking at the share of women in decision-making positions in public administration, the
highest average share is found in Latin America and the Caribbean (43.4%) and the lowest in Africa (25.1%)
• A recent UNDP and McKinsey study found that female participation in public administration and in
decision-making roles is positively correlated with economic development as well as gender equality in
society. It also suggests that women’s equal participation and leadership creates conducive environment for a
better and more effective government. These findings are reinforced by another recent report by the
Wilson Center that concludes: “where there are more women in power, there is better governance, and
where there is good governance, there are more women in power.”
Bangladesh Civil service and women representation
• The enactment of law for inclusion of women in the civil service served as the legal ground for women. Any
person meeting the qualification can apply and compete for the post. However, the 10 percent reserved seats
for women served as positive discrimination for women to increase the number.
• But till 1980 there were was no woman in administration, judicial, postal and communication cadre; only 1
woman was in revenue department of finance division, 4 women were in the Foreign Service and 6 women
were in information department but by 1986 it reached at 1417 (Haque and Bala, 1988).
• There is no discrimination between men and women in same rank as their salary is fixed according to pay
scale and positional ranks.
• Women can be posted in different places; firstly the MoPA, the mother ministry which is situated in Dhaka,
secondly other ministries in Dhaka, thirdly subordinate offices of MoPA at the field level and fourthly other
organisations. The first two categories of placement are of Dhaka based; third one is outside the ministry
(mainly outside Dhaka) and fourth one can be either in or outside Dhaka
Issues faced by women bureaucrats
• Female bureaucrats working at the field level face more problems than their male counterpart. From personal
problems like housing and accommodation, insecurity , family interference etc to professional problems of
local politics and corruption, women face challenges which are different than their male counterpart does.
• Women officer’s acceptability to colleagues, subordinates, authority, local people (upazila) is low. That’s
why, male colleagues do not cooperate, subordinates try to evade the orders and local people try to take
advantage of gender ideology. They are not ready to cooperate with women as an office chief. So, according
to most of the respondents, women officials have to put extra effort to prove their competence.
• Women are discriminated in terms of attractive postings. Only one woman was found holding the position of
DC of Manikgonj District and other 63 DCs were male in 2014 where six female DCs in 2018 (PACC, 2014;
PACC, 2018). However, women are not posted in big districts.
• The merit list prepared by the PSC at the first entry is the main basis for promoting officials. Following it, a
seniority list is prepared for promotion and is maintained every time, which becomes unchanged after new
promotion. Stipulated years of experience are needed for next promotion.
• Promotion can be either vertical or horizontal. Vertical promotion happens from lower rank to upper positions
with higher pay scale and added benefits. Horizontal promotion keeps ranks & pay scales unchanged and
brings some extra benefits.
• While considering the vertical promotion of officials, Annual Confidential Report (ACR) is considered
because 85 percent marks in ACR for preceding five years is necessary. Haque (2012) identified some
disadvantages of ACR such as likelihood of bossism, flattering tendency among ratees and highly susceptible
to rater"s (initiating or counter signing officer) biases for which it does not reflect the real performance of
professionals. Women are fewer in upper positions which means they hold less power and authority and it is
usually exercised by men
• It is no doubt women"s participation is less in employment although that is strengthened by the positive
discrimination through legal provisions.
• The appointment at the entry level is done by the PSC through open competitive examination where Every
candidate has equal Chance for final selection.
• Less representation of women in the civil service requires the positive discrimination which is maintained
through 10 percent reserve seats. Less representation is influenced by the late inclusion, the lower rate of higher
education of women, traditional culture.
• Women emphasized their family responsibilities as they avoided training programs, foreign degrees,
challenging jobs.
• As they accentuate family more than career, they avoid or they are avoided to place in some positions, it
ultimately creates discrimination.
• On the other hand, avoidance of some jobs and stayed in Dhaka is considered as preference for which men are
discriminated.
• That"s why women prefer structured and stipulated time frame for work. It is one of the main attractions to be
posted at the central level of MoPA or any ministry in the secretariat. It creates the difference in getting benefits.
Corporate sector
 Corporate Sector
• In 2019, the proportion of women in senior management roles globally grew to 29%, the highest number ever recorded. In
2020, this percentage remains the same. 2
• 87% of global mid-market companies have at least one woman in a senior management role in 2020. 3
• The proportion of women in senior leadership differs by role:
• Women are over-represented in support functions like administration, while men tend to be concentrated in operations,
profit and loss, and research and development—all viewed as critical experiences for CEO and board-level positions. 4
• In 2020, 40% of human resources directors are women, compared to 17% of chief marketing officers and 16% of chief
information officers
• A 2020 analysis by Mercer of over 1,100 organizations across the world found a leaky pipeline for women in leadership: 7
• Executives: 23%
• Senior managers: 29%
• Managers: 37%
• Professionals: 42%
• Support staff: 47%
• In Australia, Men Dominate Senior Levels of Management8
• In 2019, women represented just over a third (36.7%) of all managers in Australia
• India Has the Third-Lowest Global Representation of Women Managers, Ahead of Only South Korea
and Japan11
• In 2019, women held only 8% of management roles, 9% of business management roles, and were only 2% of
CEOs in India.12
• Japan Has Set Targets for Increasing Women in Leadership Positions by 202013
• Despite a Record-High Number of Fortune 500 Women CEOs in 2020, There are Still Nearly 13
Companies Run by a Man for Every Company Run by a Woman24
• But before they even get close to the glass ceiling, women face barriers in advancing to their first
management roles.25
• In the United States, women were nearly half (47.0%) of the labor force 26, but only slightly over a third
(40.0%) of managers in 2019.27
• In 2019, white women held almost a third (32.3%) of all management positions. 28
• Women of color held a drastically smaller share of management positions:
• In 2019, women made up the highest share of managers in human resources (74.8%). Their share of
management in selected other industries was: 30
• Medical and health services (69.7%)
• Food service (46.5%)
• Women are falling behind early in their careers. If first-level women managers were hired and
promoted like men, there would be 1 million more women in management over the next five years.
Why there should be more female representation?
Emotional Intelligence
is defined as the ability to understand and manage emotions in order to communicate effectively. Emotional intelligence primarily consists of self-
awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. Women tend to have a higher EQ, which gives them an edge over
men. If deployed correctly, emotion can be a useful tool for negotiation.
Women excel at the soft skills needed for leadership
While technical skill and knowledge are fundamental to career success, soft skills are the most desirable professional attributes. Although
characteristics like effective communication, empathy, and self-awareness are difficult to measure, they are highly valued and can make a real
difference to the bottom line.
Soft skills and emotional intelligence may prove a key competitive advantage for women in business. A 2016 study published by the global
consulting firm Hay Group found that women outperform men in 11 of 12 key emotional intelligence competencies. These competencies included
emotional self-awareness, empathy, conflict management, adaptability, and teamwork—all essential skills for effective leadership in the workplace

• 2. Articulation
• A sign of good communication is clear, cohesive speech. It is important to be concise. One way to achieve this is to know the intention and
direction of a conversation or an address. There has to be an understanding of ‘why’ you are saying something and what you intend to achieve
through it. There has to be a certain structure to what is being said.
• Approachability
The approachability of a leader depends upon their openness to questions, feedback, and criticism. It depends on how cooperative an
individual is. Additionally, a leader needs to be available. This often acts as a hindrance for women, since they tend to be occupied with
other activities.
Men can support women by dissociating from toxically masculine behaviour, gender roles, and conventional norms. Men need to counter
their implicit and explicit biases, that act against women and actively advocate to erase gender gaps. “Men can support women by insisting
on women’s rights and taking paternity leave, thereby leveling the playing field that penalizes women when they take maternity leave”.

• Assertion
It is necessary for any individual to be forthright about their opinions and ideas, to speak without hesitance, to not question the validity of
their own decisions, and to not place their stance at a position lower than that of others. For women, assertion is crucial. Conventionally,
women have been placed at a position below men. Women need to evolve through these stereotypes and ensure that their gender does not
determine the value of their ideas. However, the responsibility of achieving this should not rest solely on the woman’s shoulder. In order for
women to be assertive, men need to respond positively to their assertion.

• Active listening
Listening is as much a part of communication as speaking is. Active listening involves listening twice as much as you speak. It involves
summarising and clarifying what someone has spoken by positive reinforcement, questioning, paraphrasing, and mirroring the speaker. The
most basic of all human needs is to understand and be understood, and listening is a glaring necessity in corporate as well as political
organisations.
A diverse workforce is an innovative workforce
Diversity—from gender diversity to culture, age, and race—has been shown to foster creativity and innovation.
From PricewaterhouseCooper, to Disney and L’Oreal, organizations across industries are seeking to prioritize and
benefit from a diverse and inclusive work environment.
Men and women will inevitably have different experiences and backgrounds, which shape their approach to
business. Challenging each other and collaborating with people who think differently can breed creativity and
promote the innovative ideas that push organizations forward.
Women represent huge economic power and offer important consumer insight
It’s been estimated that women contribute in excess of $20 trillion in consumer spending every year, representing a
bigger growth market than China and India combined. Women also account for 85% of consumer purchases.
Despite this, only 11% of creative directors in advertising are women—up from just 3% in 2008. When Boston
Consulting Group did a comprehensive study of the “female economy” it’s unsurprising that they found
women feel undervalued and underserved by the marketplace. With the power of the female consumer in mind, it’s
evident that women are best placed to tap into that opportunity and bring valuable consumer insight to the table.
Tapping into the insight both men and women offer can make products and services more marketable and a
business more profitable. In fact, recent research from McKinsey shows that gender-diverse businesses are 15%
more likely to outperform financially above the industry median. 
Challenges for women in business
Women are still underrepresented in key fields
While a number of industries are showing trends of a growing female workforce, sectors like finance, engineering, and tech still tend to be strongly male-dominated.
In STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) industries overall, women make up just 24% of the workforce in the U.S. and less than 15% in the U.K.
Women’s under representation could be down to the continued stereotype that an interest in “hard science” is unfeminine. But with STEM occupations projected to
be among the fastest growing and best paid, it’s important that women feel empowered to gain the skills and embrace the opportunities afforded by a career in
science, tech, and related fields. Organizations like the National Girls Collaborative Project and Girls Who Code are working to inspire women to pursue computer
sciences and engineering and close the gender gap in STEM industries.
Gender bias in the workplace
While most executives agree that the best person—regardless of gender—should get the job, the stories of women finding more success with a
male or gender-neutral name on their CV demonstrates that unconscious bias still exists.
The women who are in or want to position themselves for leadership roles often feel they come under particular scrutiny. Where men may be encouraged to be
ambitious or assertive, women are programed from a young age not to be “bossy”. Underlying gender bias means the same behavior and characteristics—initiative,
passion, and taking charge—can be interpreted differently in men and women in the workplace.
Women are less successful when it comes to salary negotiation
Women’s own reluctance ask for higher pay is often cited as a factor behind the gender pay gap. When Glassdoor did a recent survey on salary negotiation, it found
that 68% of women accepted the salary they were offered, while nearly half of the men surveyed negotiated before accepting a role. It also revealed that when
women did try to negotiate their starting salary, the outcome was generally less favorable.
Challenging the notion that women don’t ask for raises, a 2016 study from Cass Business School, the University of Warwick, and the University of Wisconsin, found
that women are equally as likely as men to ask for a wage increase. But they’re also 25% less likely to get one.
It’s almost an accepted truth that men have a better sense of self-belief when positioning themselves for leadership roles or negotiating pay. Even
highly successful women suffer from “imposter syndrome”, feeling inadequate and underestimating their worth. Women believing in their own value and demanding
a salary that reflects it is an important step in closing the wage gap, while greater pay transparency can also help to level the playing field