Dhaka: Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Adviser Sharmin S Murshid emphasized the necessity of a united effort to advance the progress of women, enhance their capabilities, and prevent violence against them. She highlighted the importance of coordinated initiatives from both the government and society to achieve these goals.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Sharmin S Murshid delivered these remarks during a consultation workshop titled ‘Multi-stakeholder consultation on outcome of the sixty-ninth session on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW),’ organized by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs at a hotel in Gulshan. The workshop aimed to disseminate the outcomes of the 69th United Nations session on the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW69) and outline a roadmap for implementing the Beijing+30 agenda in Bangladesh.
The event gathered high-level stakeholders, including Women Reform Commission head Shirin Sharmin Haque, UN Women Representative Gitanjali Singh, and joint secretary of the ministry Dilara Begum, with joint secretary Prokash Kanti Chowdhury chairing the session. They reaffirmed their commitments to the Beijing Declaration, discussing opportunities and challenges in implementing the prescribed policies in Bangladesh.
The consultation also aimed to establish concrete, time-bound activities aligned with Bangladesh’s commitments from CSW69. These include ending gender-based violence, closing the economic participation gap, enhancing women’s climate resilience, promoting digital inclusion, and strengthening legal frameworks. Approximately 100 participants, including senior representatives from key ministries, development partners, civil society, and women’s rights organizations, attended the event.
Sharmin S Murshid noted the lack of strong proposals to ensure women’s electoral participation and representation of marginalized groups. Meanwhile, MoWCA Joint Secretary Dr. Prakash Kanti Chowdhury shared their experiences from the CSW session, including the application of AI tools to tackle gender-based violence and initiatives for digital inclusion, poverty eradication, and ending violence.
CSW69 aimed to review progress on the Beijing Declaration, thirty years after its adoption at the Fourth World Conference on Women. It assessed current implementation gaps and adopted a Political Declaration reaffirming global commitment to gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls.