Int'l Women's Day today

Staff Correspondent: International Women's Day is being observed today (Friday) across the country as elsewhere in the world with a call for building a new world with equal rights for women and men.

The Ministry for Women and Children Affairs has chalked out elaborate programmes on the occasion to create mass awareness to ensure dignified life for womenfolk through establishing their rights.

On the eve of the day, President Md Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued separate messages, greeting all women across the world.

In their messages, they termed the day's theme 'Sobai Mile Bhabo, Natun Kichu Koro/Nari-Porush Samatar, Natun Bishwa Goro' as time befitting in the current perspective and wished success of all programmes of the day.

In his message, President Md Abdul Hamid said the present government is implementing massive programmes to prevent all kinds of violence to the women, including establishing women rights, spreading education for them and empowering women, to bring gender parity.

The womenfolk are keeping their footprints in all sectors, including politics, trade and business and job, without any restriction now, the president said. "It is possible to change the overall scenario of the country by ensuring equal participation of women in all levels of the national development, which would help attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)," he added.

In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League government has been implementing various programmes for the last 10 years attaching priority to women empowerment and development. Referring to different laws and policies, including National Women Development Policy 2011, for protecting women rights, the premier said, "We are working relentlessly to eliminate all kinds of discriminatory behaviors and practices to women, prevent violence against them, bring down the child marriage rate to zero, ensure equal wages for men and women in workplaces and facilitate the women entrepreneurs with separate banking and marketing systems".

The government, she said, has also introduced maternity allowance, allowance for lactating mothers and allowances for widows-divorced, poor disabled and repressed women and maternity leave has been extended to six months with salary to ensure social security for women.

The women are now playing a vital role in different areas, including politics, judiciary, administration, education, health, armed forces and law enforcing agencies due to the time befitting and pragmatic measures of the government, Sheikh Hasina added.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called upon all to support women and girls who are breaking down barriers to create a better world for everyone. "Let's make sure women and girls can shape the policies, services and infrastructure that impact all our lives," he said in a message marking the International Women's Day that falls on March 8.

The UN chief laid emphasis on redoubling efforts to protect and promote women's rights, dignity and leadership. "We must not give ground that has been won over decades and we must push for wholesale, rapid and radical change." He said gender equality and women's rights are fundamental to global progress on peace and security, human rights and sustainable development.

"We can only re-establish trust in institutions, rebuild global solidarity and reap the benefits of diverse perspectives by challenging historic injustices and promoting the rights and dignity of all," said Guterres. In recent decades, the UN chief said, they have seen remarkable progress on women's rights and leadership in some areas. "But these gains are far from complete or consistent - and they have already sparked a troubling backlash from an entrenched patriarchy."

He said gender equality is fundamentally a question of power. "We live in a male-dominated world with a male-dominated culture. Only when we see women's rights as our common objective, a route to change that benefits everyone we will begin to shift the balance."

The UN chief said increasing the number of women decision-makers is fundamental and at the United Nations, he has made this a personal and urgent priority. "We now have gender parity among those who lead our teams around the world, and the highest-ever numbers of women in senior management.

We will continue to build on this progress." Guterres said women still face major obstacles in accessing and exercising power. As the World Bank found, just six economies give women and men equal legal rights in areas that affect their work. And if current trends continue, it will take 170 years to close the economic gender gap.

"We know women's participation makes peace agreements more durable, but even governments that are vocal advocates fail to back their words with action. The use of sexual violence as a tactic in conflict continues to traumatize individuals and entire societies," he said. He said innovation and technology reflect the people who make them.

"The underrepresentation and lack of retention of women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics and design should be a cause of concern to all." In observance of the day, an exhibition of products produced by women entrepreneurs and screening of awareness documentary will be held in all district towns across the country on March 8 and 9.

Besides, a discussion will be held at Bangabandhu International Conference Center in the city at 9 am on Saturday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to address the discussion as the chief guest. The five best Joyita (women) will be awarded in the function. Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and all other private television channels will air special programme while newspapers will publish supplements highlighting the significance of the day. International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. It is a focal point in the movement for women's rights.

After the Socialist Party of America organised a Women's Day on February 28, 1909 in New York, the 1910 International Socialist Woman's Conference suggested a Women's Day be held annually. After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations.



risingbd/Dhaka/March 8, 2019/Mukul