• Tabassum Azfar

Discrimination against women and girls often extends beyond societal norms and practices and enshrined in policies and laws. True gender equality and lasting empowerment of women and girls will not be possible until women have full and equal protection under the law. However, Canada as a self-proclaimed “Feminist country” first launch “feminist international assistance policy in 2019” in the world. Carrying the legacy, later arranged “Women Deliver” conference on 5th May 2019. Once the poverty eradication movement was initiated by Bangladeshi Nobel Laureate Prof. Yunus involving women from grass root level for their empowerment, reflected twice, in the aforesaid policy of Canada in 2019, when it spread its wings involving its development partners including Bangladesh. . In this article, we have taken a small initiative to compare Canadian anti-discriminatory laws and social mechanism which might help Bangladesh, to get rid of gender-based discrimination. At the same time, this article would be an effort to cross check, whether the ‘law’ itself or the ‘social mechanism’ would be more effective to overcome this problem as the directives of the judges of Bangladesh apex court opined the same. It is undeniable that still the women in Bangladesh are suffering from discrimination indoor to outdoor, from home to workplace, so it becomes essential to provide relief for them. Low paid female garment workers to upper level management workers are suffering from hidden or exposed discrimination. whereas providing strong support, Constitution of Bangladesh recognized female’s equal opportunity among genders. The relief giving process in Bangladesh, officially began with a Supreme Court writ petition 5916 of 2008, as no direct law was available defending the rights of women. Again, In the same writ petition, Court had given a description of “sexual harassment” and concurrently declared it as “discriminatory”, when a female object, because it hampers her work. Similarly, the Canadian Human rights commission declares the “harassment” is a ‘form of discrimination . According to them, all kinds of harassment regarding ‘’sexual, behavioral or pay inequality’’ comes under the term of “discrimination”. However, In the aforesaid writ petition, Bangladesh supreme Court directed to find out an alternative mechanism to cater the need, in absence of legislative provision. Bangladesh Supreme court deliver the judgment, based on some decisions of Canadian supreme court. Therefore, it is worthy to cross check the necessity of enactment “workplace anti-discriminatory” laws for Bangladesh in context of Canada.

Women, Discrimination, Workplace, present scenario, Bangladesh, Canada, comparison

"Discrimination against women in workplaces: Present scenario of Bangladesh in comparison to Canada.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 9, page no.998-1011, September-2019, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907A22.pdf

"Discrimination against women in workplaces: Present scenario of Bangladesh in comparison to Canada.", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.6, Issue 9, page no. pp998-1011, September-2019, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1907A22.pdf