Integrated efforts of all the relevant government and non-government organizations with media, particularly print, electronic and social, can be the crucial means for political empowerment of women.
Political empowerment of women is the precondition to getting the womenfolk ahead through freeing them from all sorts of disparity, violence and repression.
Media personalities, development activists and grassroots women leaders came up with the observations while addressing an orientation meeting titled "Media Engagement in Political Empowerment of Women '' at Hotel Warisan in Rajshahi city today.
On behalf of Aparajita: Political Empowerment of Women project, Helvetas- Swiss Intercooperation Bangladesh organized the meeting supported by the Khan Foundation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).
Project Director Proshanta Tripura, Project Coordinator Morshed Alam, District Project Coordinator Saiful Islam, Advocacy and Networking Coordinator Shaheena Laizu and Field Coordinator Mariam Khanom addressed the meeting as resource persons disseminating their expertise on the issue.
With Aparajita Faima Khatun in the chair, the meeting was addressed, among others, by President of Rajshahi Press Club Saidur Rahman and women leaders Piary Begum, Rahima bEGUM and Moina Begum.
The meeting was told that the government under the prudent and farsighted leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working relentlessly for the political empowerment of women for the overall development of the country.
Taking the issue of women's importance to the nation-building process into special consideration, the government has adopted diversified programmes so that the womenfolk can contribute to taking the nation forward spontaneously.
Already, the government has attained success in this field as women's participation in the local government institutions has been ensured and they have been working for the welfare of the womenfolk significantly.
Listing various initiatives adopted by the present government, journalist Saidur Rahman said a special allowance has been arranged for UP level women to make them self-reliant. In many fields, women were given priority.
He, however, opined there are more ways to go for women empowerment, side by side, ensuring gender balance in every sector.
Terming the present government as women-friendly, he said the government has attached top priority for women development.
He put emphasis on both men-women's equal participation, for achieving the SDGs by 2030 coupled with building a developed and prosperous Bangladesh by 2041.
Journalist Rahman called for a concerted effort of all the government and non-government sectors for freeing women from all sorts of violence and repression.
Utmost emphasis should be given on sustainable development of the womenfolk, he added.
Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha