Principal Findings:

At present, women only account for 4.80 percent of the total number of chartered
accountants in Bangladesh, suggesting a significant gender disparity .However, in recent
years, the number of women joining the profession appears to have increased
significantly.
Female respondents also perceive that compared to them, the male counter parts are being
appreciated more in the workplace and receive significantly higher salaries.
Female chartered accountants have similar work hours, and possess significantly higher
career aspirations compared to male chartered accountants
Both male and female respondents displayed similar personality attributes such as selfconfidence, competitiveness, leadership abilities, desire for responsibility, ability to
handle pressure, and work-life balance.
Female respondents display significantly higher levels of commitment towards their
children and family compared to male respondents. However, most female respondents
also appear to hold the view that being more committed towards family responsibility is
not a major obstacle towards career progression.
Female auditors found it significantly more difficult to secure access to client personnel
and to communicate with the clients. Also, female auditors identified the working
environment in clients premises as a major impediment in successfully conducting an
audit.

Recommendations:

Based on the results, this report puts forward a number of suggestions that might be useful in
creating a more conducive environment for women in the profession:
ICAB should take catalytic role in awareness building and to make more disclosures
in its publications regarding gender, pay and equity in the profession.
Audit firms should been courage to provide a more conducive environment for female
students. This may include incorporating more women in senior management level
positions, allowing more flexible work hours, the provision for day care centers etc.
Also, a firm-wise distribution of male-female students and employees should be
disclosed.
From a policy level, the government can encourage more females in company
management positions (such as mandatory minimum female membership in the board
of directors and in other important committees such as the audit committee).
With the rising number of female members in the accountancy profession, ICAB
should encourage and ensure more female members in leadership roles and key
decision making positions, such as in the council, and in other important committees.
ICAB should play a more proactive role in presenting chartered accountancy as a
more female friendly profession.
The ICAB can organize more events in different public and private universities to
attract more female students to the profession. Also, regional events can be organized
outside Dhaka to attract a wider female interest towards the profession.
ICAB should perhaps organize more seminars and workshops to promote awareness
and attitudinal change towards gender friendly perceptions regarding women in the
profession and in the wider society.