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Roundup: Progress being made in wellbeing of Bangladesh women

Xinhua, March 8, 2016 Adjust font size:

Despite gender inequalities still existing in the country, there is progress being made in many areas of the wellbeing of Bangladesh women.

Women's roles in Bangladesh are improving through the efforts of the women themselves and the broader society.

For the continued development of women, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's government has taken various measures, including adopting a female development policy, expansion of women's work areas, bringing poor and distressed women under social safety networks and empowering all levels of women.

Hasina at a program recently mentioned that the prime minister, the deputy leader of the house, the opposition leader, the speaker and a number of ministers are women in Bangladesh now, which is indeed a rare example.

"For the first time we've appointed a female secretary, female judges and female police officers, and they are performing excellently in their jobs."

She also referred to the increase in maternity leave to six months, and the establishment of daycare centers to help working mothers, as well as mentioning that the mother's name was now mandatory in any official document.

She went on to refer to the enactment of the Family Violence (prevention and protection) Act, Child Marriage Prevention Act, the setting up of eight hostels for working women, and a community clinic for rural women.

Female leaders say that without the active participation of more women and the incorporation of more women's perspective at all levels of decision-making, the goals of equality, development and peace cannot be achieved.

Parveen Sultana Jhuma, general secretary of Bangladesh Nari Sangbadik Kendra (BNSK), a center for female journalists in Bangladesh, stressed the need for ensuring the equal rights of men and women through law and other appropriate means.

"Women still do not enjoy the same legal status and rights as men in every matter in Bangladesh," she said.

She further said women have still been denied their due rights in some matters spanning religious and social customs. Endit