International Women’s Day observed

Staff Reporter :
Like other countries, the International Women’s Day was also observed across Bangladesh on Wednesday with various programmes and events to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women in society.
The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day is ” DigitALL: Innovation and technology for
Gender Equality” which recognises and celebrates the women and girls who are championing the advancement of transformative technology and digital education.
Many organisations, both public and private, organised an array of programs including seminars, rallies, discussions, and other events to mark the day.
 On the eve of the day, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting all women across the world. However, there is still a long way to go in achieving full gender equality in Bangladesh. Women continue to face various forms of discrimination and violence, including domestic violence and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles, women in Bangladesh are breaking barriers and making immense contributions in various spheres, including politics, administration, education, engineering, medicine, judiciary, agriculture and apparel industry.
Women are no longer confined to household chores and are now taking on roles that were previously dominated by men.
In politics, the country’s Prime Minister and Speaker are women, and the two major political party chiefs, Awami League and BNP, are also women. Women are also making their mark in public administration, police administration, and even the army.
Women are breaking the old mindset that they are only capable of working inside the home, while men work outside.
They are proving that they can do just as well as men, and in many cases, even better. However, women say that they can contribute even more if they receive more social support, especially from the patriarchal attitudes that seek to dominate women.
According to women, they also want to be treated with dignity and respect in society, just like any other human being. They want their contributions to be recognised and appreciated, without any discrimination based on gender.
State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira said that Prime Minister after coming to power has brought women to various levels of administration.
“There are 10 secretaries in the administration, and many additional secretaries are women. In order to bring women to the highest level of administration, it is not possible to consider whether they are women or men,” she said.
Despite the progress made by women in Bangladesh, there is still a long way to go in terms of gender equality and women’s rights.
Women are calling for more support and recognition from society, including from men, to break down the barriers that hold them back and allow them to reach their full potential to contribute to the social and economic development of the country.
“Now, women are advancing in various fields including the army, in BGB. Women are becoming Vice-Chancellor, Principal, School headmistress, and Judge. They are excelling in all fields. This is also the desire of the Prime Minister. If girls lag behind, the country will not be able to progress,” Dr. Farhina Ahmed, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change told the media.
Earlier on the eve of Women’s Day, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) in a statement called for a specific timeline for monitoring and implementation of women’s active involvement in digital technology and innovation as a key tool for achieving gender equality.
Alongside the advancement of technology, TIB has emphasised the importance of expertise and activity in all relevant institutions to ensure women’s protection against online violence and abuse as a by-product of technological progress.
TIB also stressed the importance of increasing effectiveness in preventing gender-based violence as one of the primary obstacles to ensuring women’s rights protection.