Remove the barriers for women doctors
It is very disappointing to learn that although the number of female physicians surpass their male counterparts in the country, many women doctors find it hard to work at the upazila level because of lack of a conducive environment. As this daily reported on May 7, women doctors posted in rural areas find it difficult to continue their jobs mostly because of lack of cooperation from the authorities and safety issues. Many do not even get proper accommodation from the government and thus have to come to their workplaces from long distances fearing about their safety. What is more, even joining the jobs at the rural areas become difficult sometimes because of corruption and bureaucratic tangles, and bribing officials at different levels is all too common. Because of such problems, many women doctors' dreams of serving the people in remote areas of the country are shattered. And as unbelievable as this might sound, many even leave this noble profession.
A recent Brac study has also found that gender disparity is prevalent in the medical profession—society considers female physicians less competent than male physicians though they are equally qualified and they also face discrimination in case of promotions. Such situations only question the government's commitment towards women empowerment. In order to remove these barriers for female physicians, the government must take some pragmatic policies. It must ensure a women-friendly environment at the workplaces in rural areas and the administrative facilities should also be up to the mark. Most importantly, the government needs to work on policies to mitigate the sense of insecurity female physicians have in rural settings.
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