Academics, researchers and gender activists at a workshop on Monday called for changing mindset of the people towards women for ensuring their equal participation in every sphere of society.
Women are denied equal participation in the mainstreams of the society because of male domination ignoring their equal rights in all aspects of society, they told the workshop on “Governance and Management of Gender Relations: A Comprehensive Study of Law and Society” at the BRAC Centre Inn auditorium here. Faculty of Law of Dhaka University (DU) and the School of Oriental and African Studies(SOAS) are jointly organizing the four-day international workshop.
Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh Prof Dr AK Azad Chowdhury, British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert W. Gibson, Pro-Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University Prof Nasreen Ahmed, Dean of Faculty of Law of Dhaka University Prof Dr Taslima Monsoor, Deputy Director of British Council, Bangladesh Matt Pusey and Prof Dr Werner Menski of SOAS of University of London, among others, addressed the function. Senior Assistant Professor of Faculty of Business Administration of AIUB Farheen Hassan, teachers, researchers, representatives of different government and non-government organizations, among others, attended the inaugural function of the workshop.
Prof Azad said In Bangladesh, participation of female students at all levels of education system including tertiary has increased significantly, which is a positive indicator of promoting women empowerment.
“As we belong to liberal society, women are enjoying more opportunities compared to many Muslim countries,” he said adding the government has taken various time-befitting steps to protect and promote women’s rights.
Prof Nasreen stressed the need for taking gender sound planning and policies to end gender discrimination from the society. Women’s rights should be established at all levels of society to break male domination aiming at preventing violence against them, she added.
Farheen Hassan said equal rights of women on property should be ensured at family level to empower them economically and socially for ensuring their dignified life. ” The country has many effective and good laws to protect women ‘s rights. We need to enforce these laws properly to end all sorts of discriminations towards women,” she added.
With a chorus voice, others speakers called for empowering women with giving them proper education, equal rights on property as well as smooth access to development activities to unlock their immense potentiality.
