Though the employment of women has marked a rise in different sectors in recent years, the average ratio of women employees in banks and non-bank financial institutions (NBFIs) saw a decline by 2.87 per cent in January-June 2021. Bangladesh Bank (BB) gender equality report January-June 2021 shows that the number of women employees stood at 29,513 or 15.8 per cent out of total 186,784 employees in banks and NBFIs. During the same period in 2020, the number of women employees was 28,078 or 18.67 percent of the total 178,510 employees in the banks and NBFIs. The BB statistics show that the average ratio of women’s employees decreased by 2.87 per cent to 15.80 per cent in January-June of 2021, though the total number of women employees grew up to 29513 in the first half of 2021 from 28078 in January-June 2020. The opportunities in the workplace for women have widened in Bangladesh as awareness grows in both public and private sectors to achieve gender equality as part of sustainable development goals (SDGs). Read: Fmr minister Mosharraf’s brother arrested in Tk 2,000cr money laundering case Bangladesh is placed 65th among 156 countries in the latest ‘Global Gender Gap Report, prepared by World Economic Forum. Such progress has been possible for creation of opportunities for women's participation in the workplace and increase in the economic benefits level. Laila Bilkis Ara, secretary Institute of Bankers, Bangladesh (IBB) and former executive director of BB told UNB that the number of women employees in banking is decreasing after withdrawal of 10 per cent quota for women in the recruitment. She said in the perspective of Bangladesh, a girl cannot get enough time for job preparation after graduation as most guardians  prefer to marry their daughter after finishing higher degree.