President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, in separate messages, on Tuesday greeted all women across the world on the occasion of International Women's Day, to be observed in the country on Wednesday.
The President, in his message, said the participation of men and women in the development of society, state and family is an essential precondition for overall development.
As a result of various steps taken by the government to establish 'Digital Bangladesh', Bangladesh is becoming pioneer in the Digital Bangladesh initiative, social safety net program and Sustainable Development Goals indicators through the use of technology at the grassroots level of the country, he added.
Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman started the process of women's development by ensuring women's active participation and equal rights in all spheres of state and public life in the constitution of Bangladesh, the head of the state said.
Bangabandhu's worthy daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took various steps and activities to ensure the rights of women and children, he added.
To this end, the government is formulating and implementing action plans to achieve sustainable development goals for gender equality and women's empowerment and to follow all international charters including the Beijing Platform for Action and the charter on the elimination of all kinds of discrimination against women, Hamid continued.
On the International Women's Day, he hoped that a livable world of equal rights will be developed with the joint efforts of men and women in future.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said various initiatives have been taken by the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs to advance women in the field of technology in the socio-economic context of Bangladesh and to implement the four pillars (Smart Citizen, Smart Economy, Smart Government and Smart Society) of building the desired Smart Bangladesh by 2041.
The greatest Bangalee of all time, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman formed the Women's Rehabilitation Board in 1972 with the aim of rehabilitating and empowering women affected by the Great War of Liberation, the premier added.
He ensured the equality of women in all spheres of national life in the constitution, she added.
Since 2009, the Awami League-led government has been continuously working to ensure the equal participation of men and women in every work, she continued.
One of the achievements of Bangladesh in the 51 years of the country's independence is the success in reducing gender inequality and advancing the path of women's empowerment, Sheikh Hasina said.
Various projects including VGD program, maternity allowance program for poor mothers, assistance program for working lactating mothers, vocational training and micro-credit facilities for self-employment of women are being implemented under the purview of social safety net to alleviate women's poverty, she said.
The United Nations South-South Award has been won for contributing to the development of women and children of the country through the use of information technology, she mentioned.
In recognition of the country's success in empowering women, Bangladesh has been given "Agent of Change" award and "Planet 50-50 Champion" by the United Nations, she said.
Bangladesh also got UNESCO's 'Tree of Peace' award and the Global Women's Leadership Award-2018 in recognition of bringing gender equality in education, she continued.
In 2021, the UN-sponsored Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) gave 'SDG Progress Award' to Bangladesh for the country's steady course in responding to the universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure peace and prosperity for all, she added.
"Just as we achieved independence through the combined efforts of the men and women of this country, we will build a hunger-poverty-free and developed-prosperous 'Sonar Bangladesh' as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu by 2041," the premier hoped.
International Women's Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. It is a focal point in the movement for women's rights.
Different women, social and political organizations have taken separate programmes to observe the International Women's Day in Bangladesh tomorrow.
Source: BSS