Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury on Wednesday said that social and economic empowerment of women would be strengthened though their active involvement in information and communication technology (ICT).
It will help keeping important contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals particularly the SDG-5.
Speaker of the Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said it while addressing a discussion on importance of women involvement in ICT sector, on the occasion of International Day of Girls in ICT.
BIID, BRAC, Plan International Bangladesh and ‘Preneur-lab’ jointly organized the programme
at the BRAC Centre in the capital on Wednesday.
“The government targets to ensure equal stake of men and women by 2030. To achieve the target, the government has undertaken digitalization initiatives with equal emphasis on the rural and urban areas, which will continue in future,” Dr Shirin Sharmin said.
However, the effort to meaningfully expand women’s engagement in the ICT sector entails tackling a number of challenges including social and family hurdles, lack of required knowledge and skills, lack of inspiration and fear about security in the virtual space, she said.
Besides, scholarships can be offered to the women for participating in the ICT Division’ She further said.
Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Speaker of Bangladesh Parliament, was present at the event as the chief guest with Zunaid Ahmed Palak, MP and State Minister for ICT attending as special guest.
Zunaid Ahmed Palak said, to boost youth employment in the ICT sector the Bangladesh government will train three lakh youths, both men and women, by 2021.
“We have reserved 20-30 per cent quota for women trainees in this initiative,” he further said, pointing out that 20 lakh youths enter the country’s job market every year.
Head of child protection of Plan International Bangladesh Tania Nusrat Zaman delivered the welcome speech in the function. Director of Advocacy for Social Change of BRAC KAM Morshed, head of IT of Plan International Rabiul Alam Chowdhury, among others spoke in the programme.
