‘Steps Towards Development’ :
Discrimination and violence against women is an age-old phenomenon throughout the world as a result of patriarchy. The United Nations is trying to eliminate this discrimination between men and women and make people aware about women’s rights for long. Bangladesh is a signatory to the UN Convention titled ‘Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discriminations Against Women’ or ‘CEDAW’, which is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. It has started to be implemented from 3 September 1981. September the 3rd is observed as International CEDAW Day. A fundamental declaration that gives definition of gender equality and equity, CEDAW is described as international bill of rights for women. Bangladesh Government ratified CEDAW in 1984 with some reservations over a few articles.
Despite many limitations, after the liberation of the country, various initiatives have been taken in Bangladesh with a view to ensuring women’s development and empowerment. Our Constitution was written in 1972 and through its various articles, efforts are on to establish equality of women and men, equal rights and dignity of women. In recent years, among other achievements of Bangladesh, advancement of women’s development has been commended worldwide. Government’s positive initiatives with regards to implementation of national women’s advancement policy, ratification and implementation of CEDAW convention, gender responsive budget initiatives, reform of discriminatory laws, enactment of women-friendly laws and policies, gender mainstreaming in national five-year plan, formulation of national action plan for different ministries and gender targets have widened the pathway of women’s development and empowerment.
Now women’s political leadership and participation in decision-making position in Bangladesh is quite remarkably visible. Bangladesh has achieved commendable progress in human development index among the South Asian countries. The story behind this success is rise of women in different social-political and economic sectors. Women are making strong contributions to different sectors like ready-made garments, small entrepreneurship, agriculture etc.
However, after December last year, threat of corona virus has stopped the whole world and in Bangladesh also economic advancement is under severe threat, as are the collective achievements of men and women. During the corona virus pandemic, which has been there for over six months now in Bangladesh, gender based violence has increased; life and livelihood of working women including rural small entrepreneurs, garments workers etc. are under threat. Women’s general and reproductive health, their education, economic potentialities are under all sorts of challenges. Participation of women in economic, social and political activities is shrinking. Women have become poorer among the poor.
When the whole world is busy to save the human lives and economy, there are doubts as to what extent or if at all women’s issues will be treated with much importance. Noteworthy, this year the United Nations was supposed to hold a session in observance of the 25 years of Beijing Declaration, but that has been curtailed due to the covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, there is uncertainty whether Bangladesh will be able to submit within November of this year its periodic report to the CEDAW committee, which all the signatory countries have to submit in every four years.
The UN has been repeatedly urging the Government of Bangladesh to reform all discriminatory laws and enact a uniform family code, an anti-discrimination act along with strengthening its national machineries, making laws against violence against women including criminalizing marital rape within a specific timeline. As a member state, Bangladesh Government is committed to fulfill its obligations and promises made earlier in various UN sessions. Nevertheless, the country has been continuing its reservations since long.
It should not be forgotten that, no country can ever succeed leaving its fifty percent population behind. We hope, through our continuous collective movements and efforts, we will one day reach the goal. But for that, we have to make everyone aware about the rights and dignity of women; create grounds to eliminate discriminations towards them; and ensure their participation in every sphere of the society. For establishing a society with justice and humanitarian values, collaborative efforts by GO-NGOs and general people are much needed.
There is no alternative to full ratification and implementation of CEDAW for eliminating all discriminations against women. Amidst all these national and global challenges, the government must act and take strong initiatives to fulfill its pledge in terms of establishing women’s human rights and fulfilling the promises accordingly.
Discrimination and violence against women is an age-old phenomenon throughout the world as a result of patriarchy. The United Nations is trying to eliminate this discrimination between men and women and make people aware about women’s rights for long. Bangladesh is a signatory to the UN Convention titled ‘Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discriminations Against Women’ or ‘CEDAW’, which is an international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly. It has started to be implemented from 3 September 1981. September the 3rd is observed as International CEDAW Day. A fundamental declaration that gives definition of gender equality and equity, CEDAW is described as international bill of rights for women. Bangladesh Government ratified CEDAW in 1984 with some reservations over a few articles.
Despite many limitations, after the liberation of the country, various initiatives have been taken in Bangladesh with a view to ensuring women’s development and empowerment. Our Constitution was written in 1972 and through its various articles, efforts are on to establish equality of women and men, equal rights and dignity of women. In recent years, among other achievements of Bangladesh, advancement of women’s development has been commended worldwide. Government’s positive initiatives with regards to implementation of national women’s advancement policy, ratification and implementation of CEDAW convention, gender responsive budget initiatives, reform of discriminatory laws, enactment of women-friendly laws and policies, gender mainstreaming in national five-year plan, formulation of national action plan for different ministries and gender targets have widened the pathway of women’s development and empowerment.
Now women’s political leadership and participation in decision-making position in Bangladesh is quite remarkably visible. Bangladesh has achieved commendable progress in human development index among the South Asian countries. The story behind this success is rise of women in different social-political and economic sectors. Women are making strong contributions to different sectors like ready-made garments, small entrepreneurship, agriculture etc.
However, after December last year, threat of corona virus has stopped the whole world and in Bangladesh also economic advancement is under severe threat, as are the collective achievements of men and women. During the corona virus pandemic, which has been there for over six months now in Bangladesh, gender based violence has increased; life and livelihood of working women including rural small entrepreneurs, garments workers etc. are under threat. Women’s general and reproductive health, their education, economic potentialities are under all sorts of challenges. Participation of women in economic, social and political activities is shrinking. Women have become poorer among the poor.
When the whole world is busy to save the human lives and economy, there are doubts as to what extent or if at all women’s issues will be treated with much importance. Noteworthy, this year the United Nations was supposed to hold a session in observance of the 25 years of Beijing Declaration, but that has been curtailed due to the covid-19 pandemic. On the other hand, there is uncertainty whether Bangladesh will be able to submit within November of this year its periodic report to the CEDAW committee, which all the signatory countries have to submit in every four years.
The UN has been repeatedly urging the Government of Bangladesh to reform all discriminatory laws and enact a uniform family code, an anti-discrimination act along with strengthening its national machineries, making laws against violence against women including criminalizing marital rape within a specific timeline. As a member state, Bangladesh Government is committed to fulfill its obligations and promises made earlier in various UN sessions. Nevertheless, the country has been continuing its reservations since long.
It should not be forgotten that, no country can ever succeed leaving its fifty percent population behind. We hope, through our continuous collective movements and efforts, we will one day reach the goal. But for that, we have to make everyone aware about the rights and dignity of women; create grounds to eliminate discriminations towards them; and ensure their participation in every sphere of the society. For establishing a society with justice and humanitarian values, collaborative efforts by GO-NGOs and general people are much needed.
There is no alternative to full ratification and implementation of CEDAW for eliminating all discriminations against women. Amidst all these national and global challenges, the government must act and take strong initiatives to fulfill its pledge in terms of establishing women’s human rights and fulfilling the promises accordingly.
(Steps Towards Development is a non-government development organization working since 1995 for promoting gender equality, human rights and good governance in Bangladesh).
