Dr. Zubaida Rahman, spouse of Prime Minister Tariq Rahman and Vice President of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation, has called for guaranteed equal opportunities in education, employment, and leadership to drive women's economic empowerment. Speaking as the chief guest at a women's leadership seminar in Dhaka during the 30th US Trade Show—jointly organized by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bangladesh (AmCham) and the US Embassy in Dhaka—she stressed that despite women comprising 50.8% of the national population, their integration into mainstream economic activities remains disproportionately low.

Highlighting International Labour Organization (ILO 2025) statistics, Dr. Zubaida pointed out that female labor force participation in Bangladesh stands at 38.6%, compared to 80.4% for men. She further cited BANBEIS data showing secondary and higher secondary female dropout rates at 34.9% and 22.5% respectively, with higher education enrollment for women sitting at just 20.8%. To counter these gaps, she emphasized the importance of PM Tariq Rahman's pledge to make education free for female students up to the undergraduate degree level, building upon the legacy of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, who introduced free education for girls up to class 12.