Civil society representatives of different Commonwealth countries on Monday urged all member countries to show zero tolerance to violence against women and
take all necessary initiatives to empower women.
Though Millennium Development Goals which ends in 2015 did not directly address economic empowerment of women, women leaders believe that without women’s economic empowerment, sustainable development cannot be achieved.
The 10th commonwealth women’s affairs ministerial meeting from the partners forum, Bangladesh organised the press conference at CIRDAP auditorium.
BRAC gender justice and diversity and migration programme director Sheepa Hafiza said for women leadership the main obstacle was violence against them.
The countries need to take adequate measures for capacity building of women to solve the existing problems facing women with disability and to check early marriage, she said.
Sheepa urged all 54 commonwealth countries to show zero tolerance to violence against women.
She said that the target of this forum was to raise women economic solvency and empowerment issues so that the countries could include these issues in their different planning and programmes.
Commonwealth Foundation deputy director Myn Garcia, Youth Forum Promoting Access to Development secretary general Galib Ibn Anwarul Azim, Public Service Association in Tonga secretary General Mele Amanaig, Commonwealth Women Network based on Uganda Representative Marren Akatsa Buicachi also spoke.
-With New Age input
