Govt. providing education and training to empower women: HPM Sheikh Hasina

"Women have to stand on their own feet to attain emancipation, and education is the foundation of that self-reliance. So the government has been giving emphasis on education and training of the women so that each of them attain economic freedom and contribute to build up their family and society," she said.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said this while inaugurating Begum Rokeya Day and distributing Begum Rokeya Padak-2016 at Osmani Memorial Auditorium here on Friday morning.

Sheikh Hasina said, "Joint efforts of men and women can build a golden Bangladesh as we dreamt for making it a middle-income country by 2021 and a development one by 2041 translating the ideals of the War of Liberation."

The Ministry of Children and Women Affairs organized the programme with State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki in the chair. Secretary of the ministry Nasima Begum delivered the welcome address at the function.

Recipients of the Rokaya Padak-2016- Aroma Dutta and Nurjahan Begum, who were given the award this year for their outstanding contribution to socioeconomic development of the country's women, also spoke on the occasion.

From next year five women would be given the Rokeya Padak, the Prime Minister announced saying many women who are silently working in rural areas with some very limited facilities for women's awakening and development of the women and country would be given the award.

The government introduced the award in 1995 after the name of Begum
Rokeya, a pioneer of women's liberation movement in the undivided Bengal who was a leading feminist writer and social worker during the early 20th century and mostly famous for her efforts for gender equality and female education.

Paying rich tributes to Begum Rokeya, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said she was a beacon of women renaissance and an institution of female education. "Her ideology, writings, strong mentality and working spirit still inspire us" she said.

Pointing out the steps taken by her government for welfare of the women, the Prime Minister said many things and inspiration her government inherited from Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for welfare of the womenfolk.

Bangabandhu first unveiled the road to free education for women. He guaranteed the rights of women in the Constitution and took steps for their free education up to the secondary level, she said.

She said Bangabandhu also took massive steps for women emancipation and their political, social and economic development side by side with rehabilitation and treatment of the mothers and sisters, who suffered immense brutality of the Pakistani force and their local collaborators.

Besides, Bangabandhu established a board for rehabilitation of the women who were oppressed during the War of Liberation. Bangabandhu and his wife stood beside the demoralized women and arranged their marriage, the Prime Minister said.

Sheikh Hasina said the government has undertaken special programme in 428 upazilas of 64 districts for making women aware about their rights. Women representation at every level of the local elected bodies has strengthened their social position at the grassroots, she said.

Women can now work in every sector of the country including administration, judiciary, defence, sports and UN peacekeeping, she said, adding that 'however the success didn't come overnight... we have to overcome many obstacles to come to this stage.'

In this regard, the Prime Minister said a woman cannot get everything what she wants in a society ruled by the males as none would give her the rights.

“You have to realize your rights and it's the reality,” she said, adding that a man also must remember that they should not neglect a woman as he is born, groomed up, nurtured and taken care of by a woman in his whole life circle.

A society without development of the half of its population can never prosper, she added.

Sheikh Hasina said women now have well representation in all development activities and policy making and Bangladesh is getting an honour in the world as a role model of development of womenfolk. In future the number of women would be increased in the administration as women can perform better, she said.

Sheikh Hasina sought doa of everybody for her daughter Saima Hossain Putul, whose birthday coincides the birthday of Begum Rokeya, for the success of her services she is doing for the people living with disability and autism.

Congratulating the award recipients, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina urged them to come up with more dedication for development of the women and.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol