Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Saturday said the government wants to build a Bangladesh where men and women will enjoy equal rights and women will work in the family, state and society with respect, dignity and security.
“In our society, let equality be a promise, dignity a reality, and empowerment the foundation of development,” he said in a message marking International Women’s Day to be observed on Sunday (March 8).
The day will be observed this year with the theme: “Today’s steps, tomorrow’s justice: Protect the rights of women and girls.”
The Prime Minister said sustainable development of a country is possible only when women’s rights, education, health, security and participation are ensured.
“In this context, I believe this year’s theme of International Women’s Day is very significant,” he said.
He mentioned that nearly half of the world’s population are women and development is not possible if they remain outside the mainstream of the state, government and politics.
“In particular, if women’s economic empowerment is not ensured, the benefits of overall development cannot be fully achieved,” he said.
Tarique Rahman said more than half of Bangladesh’s population are women and highlighted the role of former president Ziaur Rahman and former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia in women’s political and economic empowerment.
He said the Women’s Affairs Department was established in the Secretariat in 1976 during the tenure of Ziaur Rahman.
The Ministry of Women’s Affairs was formed in 1978 and was later transformed into the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs in 1994 during the rule of Khaleda Zia.
He said various initiatives were taken by Khaleda Zia for the socio-economic empowerment of women including free education for girls up to Class 12, which he described as a landmark decision in advancing women’s empowerment in Bangladesh.
The Prime Minister also said the government has introduced the “Family Card” programme to support women’s economic empowerment and remains committed to ensuring women’s effective participation in all sectors, including education, the economy, health and politics.
“Our goal is to implement our election pledges by introducing free education up to the postgraduate level, increasing women’s participation in higher education, providing free school uniforms for girls and expanding digital learning facilities and modern education systems,” he said.
The Prime Minister said the government is also giving top priority to ensuring women’s safety and has taken a strong stance against cyberbullying and online harassment targeting women.