A male perspective
It seems to me that these days depending on whom you speak to, you will get a different response to the question posed above. While most will agree that broadly speaking Bangladeshi women have progressed, the extent of this progression and what this progression actually means is disputed.

Certainly, in my experience, and in terms of the Bengali women that I know, I have seen a positive advancement. What do I mean by advancement, you ask? Well, my definition of advancement would include two main criteria: education and employment. You don’t need an educationalist to tell you that the numbers of women entering higher and further education in the UK has increased to unprecedented levels in recent years. Indeed, this manifestation has been repeated amongst Bengali women. Not only are there more Bengali girls going on to university, but their levels of attainment has also increased over the years. Mulberry Secondary Girls School, in Tower Hamlets is a testament to this phenomenon, having achieved a consistently relatively high pass rate over the last few years. The fact that more women are going onto to university is having a direct impact upon their careers, with more women putting aside the traditional requirement to get married soon after schooling age, and deciding to opt for a career instead. While in the Bangladeshi community, there is still a certain amount of resistance to women who go out to work, it is now seen as being more socially acceptable to do so, particularly for the second generation of Bangladeshi girls. Again, evidence for this can be sourced from the females who attend BBPA events. Most of these women are professionals who are seeking to further their careers in their chosen vocation.

In order to analyse this issue further, I have asked two females to answer the question posed above. Firstly Sophia Khan, an Editorial Assistant with the BBC, from west London, gives her perspective. This is followed by a piece from Nasfim Haque, who is a Research Assistant at Cardiff University, and who lives in Cardiff. A female perspective: Sophia Khan British women have fought for equality for many decades and, as we move towards a new millennium, the issue of women’s rights is one we are all familiar with. The Bengali woman’s struggle is, however, a more recent and less vocal one. It is one that has progressed over the last 20 years or so with a growing number of British-Bengali women making their mark on society.

When the first generation of Bengali women arrived in the UK the majority of them were dutifully fulfilling their roles as homemakers. Most of these women would have seen this as their vocation in life- their role in society, despite coming to a country where an increasing number of women were going out to work and becoming financially independent. On the other hand, the second generation of British-Bengali women is assuming a more active role in society. An increasing number of them are attaining higher education qualifications and pursuing career, as is illustrated by the substantial female membership of the BBPA

Many modern Bengali women are financially independent with high level jobs. In fact, there are households in which the female has assumed the role of breadwinner. This is most apparent in families where fathers are out of work and daughters are the sole income earners, or in cases where a girl marries in Bangladesh and must demonstrate that she can support her husband in order to bring him to the country. Does this indicate that the new generation of British-Bengali women have paved the way towards a more egalitarian Bengali community? It is clear that we have certainly challenged many attitudes towards the position of women in the family and demonstrated that we have an important contribution to make, but we have by no means overcome the underlying view that a woman’s place is primarily in the home. Whilst many men are supportive of a woman’s career, there are still a large number, particularly in the older generation, who are still of the opinion that a woman’s significance is defined by her ability as a wife and a mother. Therefore a woman’s role is that of wife/mother/daughter-in-law first and career woman second. Many of the attitudes and views that Bengali men hold towards women are perhaps epitomised in areas with a large Bengali community such as the East End of London. It is nowhere more evident than in Brick Lane that the Bengali community is still hugely male-dominated.

Whilst Bengali women now have an active presence in British society, they are still largely absent in the Bengali community. Anyone who walks through the streets of ‘Bangla Town’ cannot fail to notice the distinct lack of women in the area. In fact, our culture is such that many women themselves tend to keep away from these areas as they are often made to feel uncomfortable. It is clear that many traditional ideas about the role of Bengali women are still prevalent in our community. Women are often made to feel at fault if they choose to concentrate on their careers rather than marriage and motherhood. The many demands and expectations that are placed on modern Bengali women can sometimes become a huge burden. We are expected to juggle many different roles whilst the man’s primary role remains that of breadwinner.

Whilst it is evident that we still have a long way to go, we cannot overlook the progress that has been made. It is clear that we have come a long way since the days of our mothers. It is no longer unusual to see Bengali women who are doctors, lawyers, scientists or even television presenters. Our ability to make a significant contribution to the community can no longer be ignored and it is time that this was fully acknowledged.

A female perspective:
Nasfim Haque I don’t think the fundamental role of Bengali women within the family institution has changed at all. Although over the years, (particularly late 80’s, early 90’s from my own personal experiences of women in our community) we have seen a rise in the value of their education an encouragement towards employment and career development (cue growth of women’s ‘help’ groups etc). But ultimately there is a great duty for the women, once come of age, to marry and settle down and bear children at least by the time she is 30 years of age, otherwise there is a social stigma. This pressure forces a bit of a dilemma on some women, like myself and friends who have career aspirations as we face an inevitable break and maybe end to any future goals we aim for as we take time out to rear kids.

The more mature Bengali women, who are already married with children, are also more forward looking and are slowly getting involved in community activities, forming their own groups which give them the scope to go and do things without their husband, such as day trips. I have met many women in our community who have taken the initiative to learn to drive, go shopping and even venture out to different parts of Britain without their ‘other half. Obviously, it depends on the individual, but as a generalisation (first generation) Bengali men still see their wives freedom and social well-being as secondary to the running of a household.

I think as the second generation grow older, there is evidence of change, but then if a young girl is brought up in a family where all her father has allowed her to do is sit in the house and look pretty, then she will know no better and will expect a life like her mother’s, therefore education plays a very important part in determining the situation.