Md. Habibur Rahman :
For the betterment of human civilization, women and men should be treated equally. Human resource management is a key indicator of development in a country. A mother can contribute to the improvement of a nation’s future. Napolean Bonaparte said, “Give me an educated mother, and I shall promise you the birth of a civilized, educated nation.” Therefore, educational expenditure for adolescent girls is important for future progress.
The performance of girls’ education is satisfactory compared with other South Asian nations. It is estimated that secondary school enrollments for girls have increased from 39% in 1998 to 67% in 2017. From 2001 to 2011, the percentage of female students enrolled in secondary school climbed from 46.23 percent to 51.96 percent. On the other hand, the literacy rates of women have increased. It is estimated that the literacy rate of women has increased from 41.8% to 55.7% from 2001 to 2011. Without their development, we cannot go ahead as they are almost half of our population.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a universal celebration across the globe to promote the political, cultural, and relevant rights of women. Generally, the world celebrates it on March 8th every year since 1975. The philosophy of this day is to respect women’s accomplishments, increase awareness of women’s equality, and accelerate gender equality. But there is a gap between the myth and reality of gender development. This gap should be reduced to ensure sustainable development for all.
The philosophical color of International Women’s Day is unique and hides messages for us. Purple, green, and white are the colors of the day. The above-mentioned colors denote many things and have different messages for all. Purple denotes dignity and justice, where green promotes hope. On the other hand, white emphasizes purity. Therefore, all concerned authorities should act together to uphold the dignity of women.
UN Women has described the theme of International Women’s Day is “Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.” It has also asked for climate action for women, by women. Gender equality is a pertinent issue for ensuring a sustainable and equal future. Women are the most vulnerable group for climate disasters as they are closely associated with natural resources and household activities. However, adaptation to climate change is one of the vital facts of climate resilience. Therefore, all stakeholders should work together to ensure a gender friendly climate, adaptation to climate change, and a sustainable environment.
The percentages of violence against women have increased in the last year during COVID-19. It is estimated that every woman out of three has faced two types of violence, followed by physical and sexual violence by their intimate partner. This intimate partner violence has violated the human rights of women. UN Women reports that intimate partner violence has increased dramatically. It is estimated that 243,000,000 (two hundred forty three million) adolescent girls and women have been confronted with physical and sexual violence by intimate partners. Therefore, this domestic violence should stop for the betterment of women.
Women are also playing a vital role in the development of human civilization with their counterparts. Their contribution is unique and notable as they have to perform household chores too. From war to technology, they showed their hardworking incidents and successful achievements that inspired the other women of this universe. The percentages of working women have increased in Bangladesh. On the other hand, other South Asian countries respectively India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan are lagging behind compared to Bangladesh. Bangladesh has secured 65th positions out of 156 countries in the Global Gender Gap Index 2021.
Technological advancement is another key indicator of women’s empowerment to cope with 4th industrial revolution. They have to learn the ABC and other important things to address the technological challenges. Moreover, some women and entrepreneurs have shown tremendous achievements in this sector. However, women entrepreneurs have crossed a tremendous achievement in last few years. Women also did good performances in the following sectors followed by social business, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), RMG and handicrafts sectors.
Some femtech apps can be a lifesaver for women. FLO, MAYA, FITBIT Female Health Tracking, CLUE, and OKY can be the alternative partners of gynecologists for women. This situation has altered women’s health issues, as people frequently avoid discussing this topic due to preconceived notions. Menstruation, contraception, and ovulation are mentionable in this regard. Adolescent girls and women can install the above-mentioned apps on their phones as part of their wellbeing. FLO is a femtech app for tracking pregnancy, ovulation, and periods. It provides for managing heavy menstrual bleeding and menstrual pain. This app is also helpful for pregnancy calculation. This above-mentioned fives apps are useful for women for their health and wellbeing.
The overall picture of women’s empowerment is satisfactory in Bangladesh compared with other countries, especially in South Asia, especially in political empowerment. But we should overcome the violence against women and other challenges. Women are the most vulnerable in every crisis, especially during war and disasters. If we look at world history, then we see that their situations were not up to the mark with their counterparts. Therefore, we should support them in every aspect of their lives to reach their destinations. Last but not the least, I wish a happy International Women’s Day to all.
(Habibur Rahman is a writer and columnist).
