Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday called upon the womenfolk to contribute equally to the country’s rapid development side by side with males, saying that it would turn Bangladesh into a more prosperous nation. “We want the women to come forward to add to the national productivity. Then we would be turned into a more developed and prosperous nation and we could establish Bangladesh as a Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Bangabandhu,” she said.
The Prime Minister was addressing the senior officials of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs during her visit to the ministry at Bangladesh Secretariat.
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroz spoke on the occasion.
PM’s Principal Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikdar, Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Tariqul Islam, Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on the ministry Fazilatunnesa Indira and PM’s Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury and high officials of the ministry were present. Terming females as daughters, wives and mothers in the society, Sheikh Hasina underscored the need for ensuring their dignity in all spheres of society.
In this regard, she said that all will have to come out of such a hypocracy of talking for the freedom of women on one side and carrying out torture on them in the house on the other side. “The womenfolk of the country will have to be more enthusiastic and keep trust and belief in their own ability,” she said.
The Prime Minister said the womenfolk will have to establish position through their own quality and the government will extend all sorts of support to this end.
Putting emphasis on ensuring advancement and progress of the women and children, the Prime Minister said sustainable development of the country is possible only through their development.
“That’s why, the present government has been implementing massive programmes for the development of women and children,” she said adding that it has also been working for the development of rural women alongside the urban women.
Sheikh Hasina said Bangalee women contributed a lot to various struggles and movements including Language Movement, War of Liberation and all democratic movements of the country. Illustrating the efforts of her government for the welfare and development of womenfolk, the Prime Minister said it has been working for their economic, social and political empowerment since 1996.
“Various laws and policies have been framed and some of the existing laws and policies have been made time-befitting,” she said.
She said the national women development policy was framed in 2011 and it is being implemented. “Focal points on the development of women have been fixed up in all the ministries, while gender budget has been introduced in 40 ministries,” she said.
Talking about women empowerment, she said her government in the last two terms ensured participation of women in various higher positions in the administration, judiciary, education, health and finance management as well as in armed forces.
About political empowerment of women, she mentioned that the Prime Minister, the Speaker, Deputy Leader of the Jatiya Sangsad and the Leader of the Opposition in Bangladesh are all women which is very rare in other parts of the world.
Sheikh Hasina said to ensure their social safety and economic empowerment, her government has been providing various allowances to poor rural and distressed women as well as to widows.
Referring to huge female workers in the garment industries, the Prime Minister said the government has ensured rights of getting equal wages irrespective of male and female workers. The Prime Minister said directives have already been given to ensure arrangement of Daycare Centers for the kids during construction of shopping malls and office buildings. Besides, the Prime Minister in her speech also described her government’s pragmatic steps for the welfare of women and children and achievements in various sectors including health, education and ICT.
