State Minister for Cultural Affairs KM Khalid has said the government is implementing various steps to empower women, to which they need to be aligned by taking bold steps of their own.
The state minister shared his remarks as the chief guest at an event marking the first anniversary of a special Gender Equity and Empowerment Program, or GEEP, undertaken by Vromonkonnya, a women-focused travel organisation.
A two-day workshop titled ”Leadership Boot-camp and Peace Concert 1.0″ was held at Dhaka University’s TSC auditorium.
The journey of ‘Vromonkonnya-Travelettes of Bangladesh’ as an organisation started in November, 2016 as the first women-focused travel organisation in Bangladesh.
In addition to travelling, they are working in 64 districts to raise awareness on the liberation war, self-defence techniques, women’s health, prevention of child marriage, adolescent problems and more, among students of various educational institutions.
Congratulating Vromonkonnya, Khalid said, “We want to congratulate the team of Vromonkonnya for taking these bold and noteworthy steps and setting up great examples that our women need to follow.”
Adding to the importance of travelling, he said, “Our Bengali culture is traditional, rich and diverse for thousands of years. We have more than 500 archaeological sites. Through travelling, we can learn about our history and heritage on the one hand, and on the other hand, we can enrich ourselves with knowledge.”
The event, featuring its slogan “End racism, Build peace,” was also joined by Cultural Affairs Secretary Md Abul Monsur.
It also featured several panel discussants representing different sectors in society, including Bangladesh Police Special Branch DIG (Counter Terrorism Intelligence) Shamima Begum, Deputy Secretary and Bangladesh Tourism Board Deputy Director Rahnuma Salam Khan, US-Bangla Airlines Public Relations GM Md Kamrul Islam, UNDP Bangladesh Youth Coordinator Mahamudul Hasan, cartoonist and monthly satire magazine UNMAD’s Assistant Editor Morshed Mishu and popular band Chirkutt’s founder-vocalist Sharmin Sultana Sumi.
Source: United News of Bangladesh