Throughout the world, this day- 8th March, is being observed and celebrated as the International Day for Women. The importance of the day came into being after the inciolences ofWomen’s revolutionary struggle for their freedom and recognition of their rights.
As the whole world today observes the day with dignity through attainment, the women pay their respect for those women who fought to achieve the rights of the women of the world.
We observe the day with programs and functions, but we do not pledge to achieve our rights in a continuous process for the betterment of our status in life.
In Bangladesh there were struggles by women for their rights through which women today have been able to work along with men in society.
We remember the contributions of Begum RokeyaSakhawat Hossain, who worked to attain the rights of women of Bengal. She advocated for women’s attainment in the world outside their homes. during the days when women were not allowed outside as restrictions of ‘Pyrdah’. She advocated through her revolutionary struggles the attainment of the opportunities for women outside their homes.
Forgotten now are those days when women were kept indoors only with housework and were forbidden to venture outside their domestic places.
But today, gone are those days when women were married off only to maintain families and work indoors.
Since today men initiate the participation of women in the economic arena for the solvency of their families. The single income of husbands have brought economic problems for families, bringing in the realization of better income and satisfactory family lives through income of wives and better living standards.
During the war of Liberation in 1971, when men struggled to fight to attain independence of their country and create Bangladesh- the homeland of the Bengalis, women ventured to earn for their families in the absence of the men who took part in the Liberation war.
Today there is hardly any home where women are not participating in income earning either through jobsin offices, institutions, factories and also as professionals.
We are proud to have women as leaders of the country as we mention our dynamic Prime Minister, Speaker, Leader of Opposition, Ministers, and Members of Parliament. Women are in top positions in both government and private sector organizations.
The female children are being educated and trained to take up official responsibilities. Female students are doing better results in exams, while most prefer to take up responsibilities as professionals later in life.
As a leading women Entrepreneur of Bangladesh. I have had the proud privilege to create more than 15,000 women entrepreneurs for which I was awarded Lifetime Achievement Business Award by South Asian Nation SME Committee comprising of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan in 2017.
I had concentrated on semi-urban and rural women towards entrepreneurship. The reason was to create earning capacity of the women and also initiate the felling of self-dependency through economic development. These women have developed indigenous products especially handicrafts, rural based and regional items which have now developed a growing market for the country. Many supply products for export oriented companies and industries, creating a challenging opportunity for income, which never existed before. Many prepare food items which are sold in urban shops and markets since people have become accustomed to buying food as both the husband and wife are both involved in professions, working in offices or companies, which leave little room for household work or food preparation issues which didn’t exist before.
The earnings of the women have provided education for the children, better food habits, improved living conditions, and time to enjoy outside work. Husbands have started to appreciate their wives’ involvement in income generation work, which was unknown before.
RMG sector is developing with women’s contribution where women are now the major workers and at the same time many women entrepreneurs have formed their own business factoreis.
In Bangladesh where is no profession today where women are not involved. The families are grateful for bringing this change which has developed women’s prestige both within families and in the world outside.
Writer: Former Professor, Department of Sociology, University of Dhaka and President, Bangladesh SME Women Entrepreneurs Association
