BANGLADESH: 'Women's Participation in Decision Making Still Absent'

Staff Correspondent, The Daily Star
Apr 22, 2005

DHAKA: Speakers at a meeting yesterday said despite women's empowerment in many spheres, their participation in the decision making process is still absent.

They underscored the need for joint programmes of men and women to establish the political empowerment of women and prevent violence against them.

The meeting was organised to share experience of the 49th session of the United Nations' Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) (Beijing+10 conference) held in New York between February 20 and March 11 this year.

The Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) organised the meeting at the Cirdap auditorium with its President Hena Das in the chair.

BMP General Secretary Ayesha Khanom said women's organisations need to work jointly to establish their political and human rights.

"We need to bargain jointly with the government," she added.

Referring to the Millenium Development Goal (MDG), Ayesha said very little about women's affairs was included in it.

She called for incorporating the issues of women's rights in the MDG.

Salma Khan, member of the UN Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), said women have made remarkable progress in many fields in Bangladesh compared to other South Asian countries.

The Bangladeshi women have been able to overtake scores of barriers in terms of moving ahead in the last decade. Women are now joining air force, army and business occupying notable place in those spheres, she added.

But the lack of participation in decision making process is still a serious impediment to women's empowerment, said Salma.

Country Director of the Hunger Project Dr Badiul Alam Majumder, and President of Women for Women Dr Mahmuda Islam were present on the occasion.