The University of Dhaka’s Women and Gender Studies Department marked International Women’s Day (IWD) 2026 on Tuesday with a youth-led dialogue under the theme “Rights. Justice. Action. For ALL Women and Girls.”

The event was held at the British Council in collaboration with United Nations Bangladesh and the Local Consultative Group on Women’s Advancement and Gender Equality (LCG WAGE).

The programme brought together students, policymakers, academics, and development agencies to reflect on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj, who inaugurated the event as chief guest, stressed that promoting gender equality is the duty of every individual and society, as well as government institutions.

UN Women Deputy Representative Navanita Sinha highlighted the role of men as equal stakeholders in achieving gender equality. “We need you to be champions and allies,” she said.

During the interactive session, Dhaka University students delivered extempore speeches addressing everyday biases, gender roles, discriminatory social norms, and access to justice.

Diplomats and representatives from LCG WAGE shared reflections on the students’ performances and reaffirmed their commitment to gender equality in Bangladesh.

Baiba Zarina, Chargé d’Affaires of the European Union delegation to Bangladesh, said, “The speeches remind us that policy is strongest when it listens to those who will bear the consequences.”

Swedish Ambassador Nicolas Weeks added, “Gender equality is not a finished product anywhere in the world.”

Professors Sabiha Yeasmin Rosy and Tania Haque from the Women and Gender Studies Department, Professor Dr. Taiabur Rahman of the DU Faculty of Social Sciences, and Stephen Forbes, British Council Director, also delivered remarks.

An exhibition featuring cartoons and visual representations on women empowerment and gender equality, commissioned by UN Women, was inaugurated as part of the programme.