A rain-drenched city and an unequal commute

As days of relentless rain submerged roads across Dhaka and many parts of Bangladesh last week, tens of thousand Dhakaites struggled to get around. But for many women travelling to work, educational institutions and other commitments, the flooding turned an already difficult daily commute into an exhausting, inconvenient and, at times, unsafe ordeal.

For several consecutive days, heavy rainfall left roads waterlogged, paralysed traffic and disrupted public transport. Office workers arrived hours late, classes were interrupted and many businesses operated at reduced capacity. 

Yet behind the broader picture of urban disruption lay the untold tales of how women experienced the crisis differently.

“I am required to clock in by 9:30am and even a one-minute delay is recorded as a day's late attendance. During those days, the rain was relentless, and so was my HR department. Despite leaving home an hour earlier than usual, the earliest I managed to clock in was 11:15am, even though my regular commute takes no more than 20 minutes,” Homayra Nasrin, a banker who has to commute from Banasree to Gulshan-1 5 days a week, recalled.

For most women, leaving home became a carefully calculated exercise. A journey that normally required an hour stretched into several hours as buses remained scarce, ride-sharing fares surged and rickshaws became difficult to find. 

Dhaka is a city shaped by rivers and lakes, with water transport forming an important part of its urban landscape. However, the Hatirjheel Water Taxi service was largely suspended during the spell of incessant heavy rain, as the conditions made operations unsafe. 

As a result, many commuters were forced to forgo one of the city's most convenient routes between Hatirjheel and the Gulshan lake circuit, adding further pressure to the already congested road network.

Even after securing transport, the challenges rarely ended.

Walking through ankle or knee-deep water meant navigating open drains concealed beneath murky floodwater, broken pavements and slippery roads. For women, however, the challenge extended far beyond simply getting from one place to another.

Many said they were forced to choose between arriving late for work or wading through contaminated water that soaked their clothes, leaving them uncomfortable and vulnerable for the rest of the day. 

For menstruating women, the ordeal was particularly distressing. Hours spent in wet clothing with little access to clean toilets or changing facilities heightened concerns over hygiene and discomfort, while prolonged delays made managing menstrual health even more difficult.

Traditional office attire added another layer of hardship. Sarees, salwar kameez and long trousers quickly absorbed muddy floodwater, becoming heavy and difficult to walk in. Shoes filled with water, mud stained clothing and many reached their workplaces already drenched, only to spend the rest of the day in wet garments.

The situation was equally difficult for elderly women, many of whom struggled to maintain their balance on slippery roads or climb onto overcrowded buses while carrying bags and umbrellas. Young girls travelling to schools and colleges faced similar challenges, often having to cross flooded streets where the road surface was no longer visible.

One Higher Secondary Certificate candidate recalled the anxiety of travelling to her examination centre through the flooded streets.

"I had to sit my HSC examination in those conditions. My uniform was completely drenched before I had even reached halfway to the exam centre. I spent the entire exam feeling cold and uncomfortable because there was nothing I could do."

Many students attended classes wearing soaked uniforms or carrying spare clothes, while others stayed home because reaching campus safely was simply not possible.

For women, the flooding also magnified problems that already define daily commuting in Dhaka. Even on ordinary days, many navigate narrow or inaccessible footpaths, broken pavements and roads occupied by parked vehicles or street vendors, often forcing them onto busy carriageways. 

Added to that are the unsolicited comments, staring and harassment that many women routinely endure while travelling. Floodwaters removed whatever little safe walking space remained, leaving women with few options but to move through crowded roads where they felt even more exposed.

The discomfort, therefore, extended well beyond wet clothes. For many women, every journey became a negotiation between personal safety, dignity, health and the pressure to reach their destination on time.

Public transport became increasingly overcrowded as commuters competed for fewer available vehicles. Women often found themselves squeezed into packed buses with little personal space, where maintaining comfort and dignity became difficult.

Long traffic jams also meant spending hours inside buses without access to clean toilets.

That poses a particular challenge for women, many of whom deliberately reduce their intake of water before leaving home because public toilet facilities remain scarce, inaccessible or unhygienic. During prolonged journeys caused by flooding, that coping mechanism often becomes physically exhausting.

For mothers travelling with children, the burden multiplied.

Many had to carry school bags, umbrellas, lunch boxes and sometimes young children through flooded streets while trying to avoid fast-moving traffic and open manholes concealed beneath muddy water.

Women employed in hospitals, retail outlets, restaurants, factories and other occupations requiring physical attendance often had little choice but to report for duty despite the weather. Working from home remained an option for only a limited number of professions.

The rains also exposed another persistent problem.

Floodwater mixed with overflowing drains and sewage left many commuters wading through contaminated water. Besides ruining clothing and belongings, prolonged exposure raised concerns about skin infections and waterborne diseases.

For many women, returning home after sunset brought fresh anxieties.

Power outages in some neighbourhoods reduced street lighting, while flooded roads forced pedestrians to take unfamiliar routes. The combination of darkness, standing water and sparse public transport made journeys feel less secure.

Domestic responsibilities offered little respite after reaching home. Many women returned from difficult commutes only to begin cooking, cleaning, caring for children or elderly family members and managing other household duties. The working day simply continued in another form.

Urban planners and gender specialists have long argued that transport systems and disaster responses often overlook the different ways women experience cities during extreme weather.

Flooding affects everyone, but unequal access to sanitation, safety, transport and public infrastructure means the impact is rarely felt equally.

As climate change contributes to more frequent and intense rainfall events, these everyday struggles are becoming increasingly familiar.

For many women in Dhaka, last week's downpours were not simply about getting wet. They were about negotiating flooded streets, unreliable transport, inadequate public facilities, personal safety concerns and unpaid responsibilities, all while trying to maintain the routines of work, study and family life.

The rain finally stopped and the water gradually receded from the roads. The challenges faced by women, however, remained; waiting for the next spell of heavy rain to expose them once again.

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