Dhaka: Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman announced today the commencement of a government initiative aimed at promoting women’s economic empowerment through the distribution of ‘Family Cards’. The initiative seeks to grant economic power to women by assigning the ownership of these cards to female family members.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the minister highlighted the government’s commitment to women’s rights and economic independence during his address at a seminar titled ‘Fight, Justice, Action for All Women and Girls’ held at the Bangladesh Military Museum. The seminar, organized by Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) with financial backing from the European Union, also received support from UN Women and the embassies of Switzerland, Canada, and Sweden.
Minister Asaduzzaman emphasized the significance of the program, which was launched just 21 days into the government’s tenure. He pointed out that approximately 37,000 family cards have been initially issued under a pilot project, with ownership designated to the female head or another female member of the household. The initiative is expected to empower women to bring numerous benefits to their families and help them gain economic independence.
The minister expressed hope that the initiative would help women break free from superstitions and raise awareness about their rights. He mentioned that if adequately supported, the program could potentially benefit over 40.01 million poor and ultra-poor families across the country. The distribution process will be conducted based on strict eligibility criteria, without political bias, and any corruption in the issuance of the cards will be addressed firmly.
MJF Program Coordinator Ruma Sultana presented the keynote paper at the seminar, which was attended by notable figures including MJF Executive Director Shahin Anam, BLAST Executive Director Barrister Sara Hossain, and UN Women Country Director Gitanjali Singh.