Bangladesh seeks UN support for its inclusive approach towards women dev

Bangladesh has sought the UN support for its inclusive approach towards women development.

"Bangladesh government has adopted an inclusive approach for women development...We also need greater support from the international community particularly the United Nations in this regard," said State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki, reports BSS.

She was addressing the General Debate of the ongoing 62nd commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at UN headquarters in New York, USA on Wednesday, according to a message received here yesterday.

The state minister said that Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman started the process of uplifting the status of women as a Constitutional obligation.

"Subsequently, under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has made remarkable progress in women and children's development,' he added.

Meher Afroze said according to the Global Gender Gap ranking 2017 prepared by World Economic Forum, Bangladesh jumped up 25 notches to 47th place in terms of gender equality and has again topped South Asia.

In her statement, she highlighted various measures taken by the present government to ensure women's empowerment in Bangladesh such as policy intervention, social safety net, livelihood training and access to micro-finance and SMEs for promoting women's entrepreneurship, women-friendly banking system and projects for promoting and protecting girls.

She also mentioned the signature projects such as 'Ashrayan', 'One Home One Farm', 'Joyeeta' as well as various incentives and allowances being provided by the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to support Bangladesh's rural women.

The state minister said that due to such initiatives, rural women are getting integrated in mainstream socio-economic activities and gradually coming out of extreme poverty.

"In January 2018, Bangladesh received 34th ranking in World Economic Forum's Inclusive Development Index's list of emerging economies, again topping in South Asia", she said.

In this connection, she said from the highest political level down to the grass root, Bangladesh has a greater participation of women that was manifested at Bangladesh attaining 7th position among 155 countries in the political empowerment category.

The state minister also raised the ongoing Rohingya crisis in her statement saying, "Majority of the forcibly displaced Myanmar's citizen camped in Bangladesh are women and children. We need to work on addressing these challenges".

Bangladesh delegation members for the 62nd CSW Kazi Rosy MP, Secretary to the Ministry of Women and Children's Affairs Nasima Begum, Secretary of the Ministry of Textiles and Jute Md. Faizur Rahman Chowdhury, Secretary of Rural development and Cooperative division Mafruha Sultana were present during the general debate.

The Ambassador of Ireland and Chair of the Bureau of 62nd CSW Ms.Geraldine Byrne Nason presided over the meeting.