Speakers at a seminar highlighted that the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector should encourage more women entrepreneurs, stressing that trade licensing processes and access to finance must be simplified and made more women-friendly.
They also emphasized that women’s active participation in the workforce is essential for the continued growth and prosperity of Bangladesh and reiterated JBCCI’s continued support and commitment to the cause.
Japan-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JBCCI), an association for business development between Bangladesh and Japan, and the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) organized the seminar jointly on “Rights, Equality, Empowerment: A Discussion on Women’s Progress in Bangladesh” at a hotel in Dhaka on Sunday.
Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy of Japan in Bangladesh Takahashi Naoki thanked JBCCI for organizing this important session and acknowledged Bangladesh’s remarkable achievements in women's employment and empowerment.
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“Japan believes that women empowerment and opportunities in employment are very essential for the progress of a country,” he said while speaking at the seminar as the chief guest.
He also mentioned Japan is working for the Rohingya and their wellbeing along with Bangladesh, according to a media release issued by the JBCCI on Monday.
Naoki also recognized JBCCI’s pivotal role in enhancing Japanese investments in Bangladesh.
Professor and Pro-Vice Chancellor, Department of Economics, University of Dhaka Dr Sayema Haque Bidisha and Country Managing Director, Oracle Bangladesh Rubaba Dowla attended the event as special guest.
The members of JBCCI and JETRO and representatives from different organizations in the public and private sector participated in the seminar.
Executive Director of JBCCI Tahera Ahsan moderated the seminar while the welcome speech was delivered by President of JBCCI Tareq Rafi Bhuiyan (Jun) where he highlighted the contributions of women to the economic development of Bangladesh.
Secretary General of JBCCI Maria Howlader delivered the key remarks where she highlighted where the global gender parity rates stand in line with the SDG goal no.5 and also iterated the call for action for achieving equality and parity for women.
President of Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) Selima Ahmad also shared her views as a guest speaker and shared snippets from her experiences and hurdles as a professional woman.
Sayema Haque Bidisha mentioned around 50 percent of small and medium entrepreneurs are women.
She discussed the formal and informal sector employment divide between male and female workers and how 70% of women work in agriculture which is categorized as informal work.
She commented on the quality of female employment, not just to focus on quantity.
Rubaba Dowla emphasized that women's presence in the workplace is crucial for ensuring the sustainable growth of the economy. She noted that ’disruption’ is the call for the day and inclusive practices should be the norm by now rather than a special initiative.
She stressed on accelerating action and mentioned that it is time to start pushing invisible and divisive boundaries.
The event also featured a panel discussion, moderated by Tahera Ahsan. Panelists included Kazi Rubaiya Islam, Corporate and Media Relations Lead at JTI, Uzma Chowdhury, CPA, Director (Finance) at Pran-RFL Group and Aminata BA, Assistant Manager at Mitsubishi Corporation, Dhaka.
They shared personal experiences, highlighting the evolution and growing impact of women in various sectors.
The panelists observed that women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh are thriving and making significant contributions alongside their male counterparts.
They underscored the need for employment services that support women in the workplace such as maternity leaves and day cares and also emphasized the need for changing gender-biased mindsets and out social conditioning, at the household, professional and public spheres.
Uzma Chowdhury highlighted good industry practices from Pran-RFL in ensuring safety, security and maternity leave for women.
The performance of women is ahead of men employees in many sections. She add that maternity leave and daycare facilities have ensured women employees' dedication to serve the company
Anwar Shahid, Vice President of JBCCI thanked everyone for attending the program and appreciated all the discussants for their valuable insights and success stories which will inspire others too.