2024-03-12 11:17:21
In a dialogue organized by Democracy International, the women leaders of Bangladesh’s three main political parties, Awami League, BNP and Jatiya Party, said that although the ideologies are different, the obstacles to women’s progress are almost the same. For this reason, they have expressed their determination to work together in their respective parties for the inclusion of women in political leadership.
More than a hundred women leaders from all over the country participated in this dialogue organized at a hotel in Dhaka on Monday (March 11). In the exchange meeting held on the occasion of International Women’s Day, they demanded the inclusion of 33 percent women in the main committee of the party and the allocation of state funds separately for women in the election campaign.
Women’s inclusion is being worked on through the Multi Party Advocacy Forum (MAF) and Local Party Strategic Plan Implementation Committees formed under the USAID-funded Straightening Political Landscape (SPL) project. Apart from this, Democracy International is conducting the ‘Women’s Win, Everyone’s Win’ campaign for women’s political empowerment. The campaign has a growing multi-party network of over 20,000 women leaders across the country, which has helped 6,829 women join 6,829 grassroots committees so far.
Awami League Central Executive Committee member and Jatiya Sangsad Whip Sanjida Khanom said on the occasion that women are discriminated against in both rich and poor families, ‘First of all we have to change our mentality. The number of women in core party committees is still very low.’
Jatiya Party presidium member Sharifa Quader said that women’s progress has increased more than before, “Discrimination against women is still expressed through the use of addresses and derogatory words.”
Rasheda Begum Hira, BNP’s training affairs secretary and former member of parliament, said, ‘We have to work as a team on women’s issues.’ In this regard, he urged to increase the advocacy within his party.
In the welcome speech, Deputy Chief of Party of Democracy International Leslie Richard said that DI is assisting in the process of raising a private bill for the formation of public funds for the campaign expenses of women candidates in the elections.
In the closing speech, Democracy International’s Chief of Party Dana L. Olds said, “Despite different ideologies, change is possible if women work together to increase the participation of women in leadership.”
Lipika Biswas, senior director of the organization, moderated the national dialogue.