Family, motherhood behind 75pc of women’s career breaks

Staff Reporter :

Family responsibilities and motherhood account for nearly 75 percent of career breaks among working women in Bangladesh, according to a survey conducted by BRAC.The findings were shared at a media briefing held today at BRAC Centre Inn in Dhaka’s Mohakhali ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.

The survey, conducted among more than 1,200 applicants to BRAC’s Bridge Returnship programme, found that 38.8 percent of women cited family responsibilities as the main reason for leaving their jobs, while 36 percent left due to maternity.

Speaking at the briefing, BRAC’s Chief People and Culture Officer Moutushi Kabir said women also take career breaks due to unfavourable workplace environments, pursuit of higher education, and social pressure.

According to the survey, 18.8 percent of respondents left their jobs due to personal reasons, 14.4 percent for higher education, 8.5 percent because of unfavourable workplace environments, and 4.7 percent due to social pressure.

Despite the career interruptions, many women expressed strong motivation to return to the workforce. The survey found that 76.5 percent cited career advancement as their primary motivation for returning to work.

Other motivations included building a personal identity (62.2 percent), boosting self-confidence (57.7 percent), achieving financial independence (56.5 percent), and contributing to their families’ well-being (42.7 percent).

The data also showed that 67.9 percent of applicants had career breaks lasting one to two years, while 6.6 percent had breaks exceeding six years.

In terms of experience, 28.6 percent of applicants had more than seven years of professional experience, while 58 percent had between three and five years.

To support women re-entering the workforce, BRAC has relaunched its Bridge Returnship programme. This year, more than 1,200 women applied, and 24 were selected after several rounds of screening to work with different BRAC programmes for six months.

Participants will receive skills development training, leadership workshops and mentoring. BRAC will also help connect them with NGOs, private sector organisations and corporate institutions to facilitate employment opportunities.

The programme was first launched last year, when 15 participants were selected from around 1,100 applicants.