Readers’ Voice: Achieving gender balance: A long way to go

If women are not empowered through ensuring equal means of economic opportunity for women, a country cannot be strong in these modern times.

For developing a strong economy, it is necessary to invest in women entrepreneurs and provide them with access to finance and markets, and not just education.

Over the years, Bangladesh has achieved a lot in terms of women emancipation in economic and social spheres.

The growth of ubiquitous garments industries and micro credit schemes of different NGOs have lifted a great number of poor women of rural areas from the quagmire of poverty.

Even in government decision making, women’s participation in Bangladesh is significantly increasing.

However, there are detractors who criticize this development of increasing women leadership in political spheres.

But that women’s participation everywhere is more pronounced is a reality. Women have got their own voice here.

Even in poverty reduction women’s efforts are significantly contributing to changing the traditional economic pattern of our society.

Yet there are a lot of things that need to be done.

Bangladesh now needs to fight all the barriers to women entrepreneurship.

Even now there are many families in Bangladesh, and sadly they are mostly located in rural areas that discourage, even prohibit, women’s work outside home.

It is now time to fight this backward-looking and weird mindset.

Every day in our society women are being oppressed, repressed and tortured simply because they are women.

Dowry-related violence, child marriage, rape and other forms of sexual exploitation are still very common.

These tortured women often fail to take legal redress not just because they are women but because they are poor.

Bangladesh has already made great strides in education through some sustainable and bold policies.

Investing in education can be the most effective tool to empower women.

Sheema Akter
Dhaka, Bangladesh