The number of women employees in Bangladesh’s banking and non-banking financial sectors has seen a decline, with 770 women leaving the workforce in just six months, according to the latest central bank data.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) report on gender equality in the financial sector reveals that the banking sector lost 721 women employees, while Non-Banking Financial Institutions (NBFIs) saw a decrease of 49 women workers between June and December last year.

According to the report, the total number of women in the banking sector stood at 35,061 at the end of December, down from 35,782 at the end of June. Similarly, in the NBFI sector, the number of women employees dropped to 1,019 from 1,068 during the same period.

Data from 61 banks and 35 financial institutions show that the total workforce in the sector currently stands at 218,487. Of this, 182,407 are men and 36,080 are women, meaning women constitute approximately 16.5 percent of the total workforce in the financial industry.

Industry insiders suggest that the political transition in 2024 and subsequent initiatives to merge or close struggling banks and financial institutions have led to job cuts and voluntary resignations, significantly affecting the number of women employees.

The report indicates that the majority of women in this sector are employed by private commercial banks, totaling 22,983. Other figures include:

State-owned banks, totaling 9,147 women and specialized banks are 1,947 women, and in foreign banks 984 women.

However, the report highlights a persistent gender gap in leadership. Women’s participation in top-tier executive positions remains significantly low, accounting for only 10.35 percent of high-level posts in the banking sector.