Berkley Center

Madrasas have long been an integral part of the education landscape of South Asia. In the context of rapidly modernizing Bangladesh, these longstanding religious institutions are playing a large and expanding role as education providers. This forum explored several issues related to madrasas.

Bangladesh has made remarkable strides towards gender equality in a relatively short period by reducing maternal mortality, expanding roles for women in politics, and considerably closing the gender gap in school enrollment at the primary and secondary levels. Access to education and employment has broadened women’s spheres of influence beyond domestic spaces and challenged longstanding gender…