Aditi Sharif :
It was 2.00 pm in the night. I was trying to calm my nerves and went to sleep. At that moment, I received an agitating text from someone from my friend list of Facebook. S/(he) condemns me for my current stand in the Quota Reform Movement, which has become a radical movement, and calls me a pseudo-feminist. According to his/her statement, I should not consider myself a women’s rights activist because I didn’t say a word against the annulment of the quota reserved for women. Rather, I am supporting the ‘anti-nationalist propaganda’(?/!). Though I am too naïve and young to consider myself a ‘Women’s Rights Activist”, his/her statement led me to reminisce for the past few days and reevaluate my stance.
As an ex-student of a public university, I had the privilege to observe the quota reform movement from the very beginning. The movement coordinators never claimed that they wanted to annul the quota reservation system. Rather, most of them were concerned about reducing the percentages of 56% quota reservation. However, I don’t want to deny that one can see some posters against female quota reservations as well as freedom fighters’ quota reservations in public services. There is no doubt that female quota reservation in public services is required for women’s empowerment. As a developed country of Bangladesh, many Bangladeshi people have to struggle against different obstacles to access basic human rights. Due to the extreme sexism, prevalent in Bangladesh, female students must do much more work than their male counterparts to get a government job. We all know that for some people from the disadvantaged sections of our country, education is a luxury and it is more true in the case of women. Therefore, having quota reservations for females is necessary to create a level playing field in government job exams. Nevertheless, any person, who is aware of the current situation, would consider the Bangladesh government more responsible than anyone as we all know because of the favor of social media that they don’t even discuss with the protesters.
But the most important question is: is it the appropriate time to discuss the significance of female quotas in government services? The answer should be known to all. Bangladesh is currently experiencing a set of horrific events including mass killings, violence, and arrests, led by the state-sponsored police and Bangladesh Student League Cadres. Shockingly, this blood-shed stems from the student rights-based Quota Reform Movement, where students got killed by police, armed forces, and ruler-sponsored goons. Later, people from all over Bangladesh are becoming the victims of this state-led atrocity. Women were no exception. At the outset of this massacre, Bangladesh Student League Cadres attacked the female students of the University of Dhaka. Later, female children and women (no matter what their professions are) as well as their male counterparts were killed or injured. Now what is more important: life or quota reservation? I suppose, most of them would go for a secure life. That’s why, when the people of this country, led by the students, have decided to resist this brutality, most of the women’s (and human) rights activists and feminists have expressed their solidarity and raised their voices against the state atrocity. After combating the crisis altogether, we will be there to fight inclusive policy-making for women, including, the quota reservation of women. For now, let’s fight for our existence and lives!
Biography:
Aditi Sharif is a Social Researcher, currently researching Gender Diversity, Historiography, Feminist Discourse and Methodology, Heritage, and Migration. She is also a volunteer writer in Women Chapter English.