The Ministry of Children and Women Affairs has undertaken a project designed for imparting training to newly-wed couples to change their mindset towards women in the country, State Minister of the ministry Meher Afroz Chumki said here on Saturday.”We first began the pilot project with the men of our ministry.It is a pilot project that aims at reducing discrimination and violence against women in society,” Chumki told BSS correspondent on the sidelines of a seminar at CIRDAP auditorium.The project is already under progress in Rajshahi, she said adding that “We wanted to mean that womenfolk not only work outside but also at their respective houses..we’ll gradually expand the project across the country.”Peoples Progressive Trust (PPT), an NGO, arranged the seminar on ‘Gender Sensitive Budget (2014-15)’.Vice-president of Bangladesh Economic Association (BEA) Dr Hannana Begum presented the keynote paper on the topic of the seminar while Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Rebeka Momin, Shirin Akhter, MP, spoke as the special guests.A good number of women working in diverse professions shared their views and personal experiences in the seminar, which was presided over by PPT president Marufa Akhter Popi.Speaking on the occasion, Chumki highlighted different issues mainly the women development policy and multifarious steps to stop discrimination and violation against womenfolk.”We’ve already taken short, mid and long term plan of actions to implement the policy.the countrymen will soon see the progress to this end,” she said.The State Minister stressed on research on gender sensitivity and changed mindset for a prosperous and discrimination-free society.Lawmaker Rebeka Momin said rights of women are restricted although it has clearly been stipulated in the Islamic law. “We get property neither from farther nor from husband’s side,” she pointed out.She said haor women are facing multiple problems and favoured more budgetary allocation for them for their welfare.”We expect a gender sensitive budget. It is the expectation of all women in the country,” said Dr Hannana Begum.
