M. A. Jabbar :
Every year like elsewhere in the globe International Women’s Day is being observed in Bangladesh on 08 March in a befitting manner. The day highlights the importance of the role of women in all spheres of the society for a better life. Women in the changing world of work: planet 50-50 by 2030 is the theme of the day to ensure implementation of some key targets of 2030 agenda which include: all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education, end all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere, eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation, eliminate all harmful practice like child and early marriage etc.
UN Secretary-General in his message on the day emphasized on the importance of gender equality as there is no greater investment in our common future. UN Women Executive Director called for observance of the day in a befitting manner as this has been greatly highlighted in the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development Goals and asserted for ensuring Gender Equality and Empowerment of women and girls at all spheres in life for building stronger economies and healthier societies.
As UN member-state, Bangladesh has given priority to protect women’s rights and their participation in all spheres of national life. Government of Bangladesh is committed towards attaining the objectives of the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, the Beijing Platform for Action and Sustainable Development Goals to be achieved by 2030 in conformity with the fundamental rights enshrined in the Bangladesh constitution. Government of Bangladesh also has adopted the National Policy for Women’s Advancement and series of programs for ensuring sustainable development of women. Meanwhile the Jatiya Sangsad has passed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill 2017 the purpose of which is to prevent child marriage in the country. When it will come into effect as law, it will help impose ban on child marriage and provision exists for punishment for violation of the proposed law.
It is worth to mention that Bangladesh was the first country in the South Asia to achieve gender parity in primary education, which is now compulsory and free for all children aged between 6 and 10. All children attending primary and secondary school receive textbooks free of cost. Government of Bangladesh also has formulated women development policies and different line ministries of the government have taken several steps befitting to promote gender equality and to include them in the development programme.
Due to various efforts, it is encouraging that our women are everywhere of the society. They are playing important role in the administration, judiciary, education, health-care sector, engineering, banking and insurance, entrepreneurship and business and in fact every sector of the society. Moreover, the rapid growth of the garment industry has provided a large number of formal sector jobs for women who comprise more than 90 percent of its labor force. They are also contributing significantly in SME and other sector like social security, education, child-care, nutrition-based projects and day care center etc.
In view of the large scale participation of women in various fields of the society, this has not only contributed in the upliftment of economic status of the women in particular but also have contributed significantly towards upliftment of social discipline and preventing anti-social elements etc.
As no development agenda can be implemented without the involvement of the women segment of population it is the responsibility of every family or society to focus attention and work for their involvement in the development programme. In doing so, negative attitude towards girl child should be changed at all level beginning from a family. Although attitude has changed to a great extent, yet in many families particularly in the illiterate segment of the society girl children are neglected in health-care and education. They think that girl children are the burden of the family and boy children are the asset for earnings for the family. They lack knowledge that both boy child and girl child can equally contribute in the family and in the society.
As such, mass awareness among illiterate segment of people can bring the change. Along with government’s efforts NGOs, civil society and in fact every individual can contribute towards bringing the change for gender equality. Working together we can achieve the goals.
(M. A. Jabbar is a banker and executive secretary of national anti-tobacco organization ADHUNIK.)
