Bangladesh celebrates International Women’s Day today as elsewhere in the world to mark women’s enormous contribution to humanity with the theme ‘Gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow.’
The day comes at a time when the country is going through rising violence against women, including rapes, and high incidents of child marriage.
Equality for women in all spheres of life, including politics, administration, home and workplace, is still a far cry as they are still way behind their male counterparts in economic and political participation and opportunities.
On the eve of the day, president Md Abdul Hamid and prime minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting all women across the world.
The president in his message said that the achievement in empowering women over the past 50 years had introduced Bangladesh as a role model in the world, according to a Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha report.
He said that the present government had been implementing massive programmes to prevent all kinds of violence against women, along with establishing women rights, spreading education for them and empowering women to establish gender parity.
The prime minister in her message said that one of the major achievements of Bangladesh in the past 50 years was a significant progress made in empowering women by reducing gender inequality.
To maintain this trend, the government has attached priority to ensuring food, heath and education for women at the grassroots level, she added.
Women are now playing a vital role in different areas, including politics, judiciary, administration, education, health, armed forces and law enforcement agencies due to pragmatic measures of the government, she said.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir in a statement expressed his concern over increasing incidents of violence against women.
He said that children and women were increasingly becoming victim of violence during the current regime.
The BNP leader extended greetings to the women across the world and wished prosperous and dignified lives for them.
A number of women’s rights groups and non-governmental organisations have chalked out various programmes to mark the day.
The Social Resistance Committee, a platform of 66 women rights, human rights and development organisations, will hold a rally and a cultural programme on the premises of the Central Shaheed Minar today.
The programme, with a call for an end to violence against women, will be presided over by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad president Fauzia Moslem.
A procession will be held later.
Amrai Pari Paribarik Nirjaton Protirodh Jote, a campaign against domestic violence, announced an online campaign and oath-taking programme from Monday midnight to early Tuesday.
The organisation would hold a candle-lit programme at midnight to mark the day.
It also held a candle-lit event a minute past midnight on Monday.
Nari Samhati will hold an event at its central office at Hatirpool in the capital today evening.
Women are active and vibrant in all fields, including education and job market, but they have to face discrimination, sexual repression, violence and hostility, Nari Samhati said in a statement on Monday.
Christian Women will hold a discussion on women’s contribution to a sustainable future at BRAC Inn at 2:00pm on Wednesday.
In 1910, the second International Socialist Women’s Conference was held in Copenhagen where the idea of an International Women’s Day was mooted by German Socialist Clara Zetkin.
In 1913, International Women’s Day was shifted to March 8 and the day has remained the global day for observing International Women’s Day ever since.
In 1975, during the International Women’s Year, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day on March 8.
– Input from New Age was used in the article
