Stand on your own feet and move with dignity: PM Sheikh Hasina to country's women

"You should not depend on others, you will have to build your own fortune, stand on your own feet and move with dignity ... you will have to achieve your own dignity through work and self-confidence," she said.

"You would be honoured (by all) if you move with self-confidence...none would hand over dignity to your hands if you move on weeping. Rather they would ignore you and the women cannot live with only sympathy," she added.

The Prime Minister said this while addressing the inaugural function of the International Women's Day at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre in the capital on Tuesday morning.

The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs arranged the function with State Minister Meher Afroz Chumki in the chair.

Country Representative of the UN Women Christine Hunter was present at the function as the special guest, while Secretary of the ministry Nasima Begum delivered the welcome address.

A documentary on women development in Bangladesh was screened at the function.

Putting emphasis on development of all (people) to build a prosperous Bangladesh, the Premier said no nation could witness uplift if all its citizens do not attain development.

"No society could advance leaving out its one segment and an individual cannot properly move if any part of his or her body is crippled ... so we want to move forward taking with all sections of the society," she said.

Pointing out that there is no scope for pushing anybody "backwards" or towards "narrow-mindedness" in the name of religion, Sheikh Hasina said it was a woman who first converted to Islam and she was Bibi Khadiza (RA).

She said Islam has given the women (various) opportunities in the society and ensured their rights to the property of the father and husband, adding that such rights don't exist in other religions.

The Prime Minister said Bibi Khadiza (RA) used to do business and tour her homeland and other countries for this purpose. "So, such an example exists before us and there is nothing to be worried," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the person who first embraced martyrdom for Islam was a woman and she was Sumaiya. "So there is a glorious history of women in Islam ... we will have to keep this in mind," she said.

The Prime Minister said half of the country's total population is women and overall development is not possible leaving them out. "The families, in which both husband and wife earn, lead a solvent life than others," she said.

The Premier said currently 70 per cent women and girl children are in poverty globally. They are deprived of respectable job on the one hand and don't get proper wages for their work on the other.

"The females remain at more risk in different disasters and abnormal situations ... we are working untiringly to remove the deprivation of the women."

Sheikh Hasina said the education is the most "effective weapon" for women empowerment. "That's why we have given special importance to women education."

Placing emphasis on more participation of the women in politics for women empowerment, the Prime Minister said the trend of participation of the women in politics has been increased to a great extent due to initiatives of the present government.

Currently, the Prime Minister and the Leader of the House, the opposition leader, the deputy leader of the House and a whip are women.

Thirty percent seats in the local government bodies like Union, Upazila, Municipality and City Corporations have been kept reserved for women, she said.

In this connection, she also stressed the need for developing women leadership from the grassroots level.

Referring to formation of some development committees in the Union and Upazila Parishad with women being the chairperson, Sheikh Hasina said women are playing an important role in decision making while they are working to utilize the opportunities there.

In this regard, she also cited strong women leadership in the region, including Bangladesh, and said the developed countries could not establish such leadership like South Asia.

The Prime Minister pointed out the famous poem "Nari" of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam and quoted its few lines, saying he had placed the womenfolk at the most dignified position.

Recalling to the role of the Father of the Nation in upholding the dignity of women, Sheikh Hasina said Bangabandhu ensured their equal rights in all spheres of life through incorporating articles 19 and 28 in the constitution.

While talking about Bangabandhu's various steps for rehabilitation of those mothers and sisters who were tortured by the Pakistani occupation forces and their local cohorts, she said many parents did not accept their daughters violated during the War of Liberation.

"Bangabandhu had arranged the marriage of those girls and told my mother to write his name (Sheikh Mujibur Rahman) as the father and 32 Dhanmondi as the address of those girls who did not want to disclose their identity," she said in an emotion-charged voice.

Sheikh Hasina said success of women is everywhere in Bangladesh and they are now at an equal stage along with their male partners in education, games and sports and creative works.

In this regard, she mentioned that the country's women are now in very high position in all sectors like administration, judiciary, education, administration, as well as in the armed forces and in law-enforcement agencies.

The Prime Minister also elaborated various steps of her government for the development and welfare of the women.

She said her government has formulated the National Women Development Policy-2011, the Domestic Violence Prevention Act and Rules, the National Action Plan to Prevent Violence against Women as well as gave approval to the draft of Child Marriage Prevention Act, raised maternity leave from four months to six months and honoured mothers and sisters tortured during the Liberation War with state recognition.

Later, the Premier witnessed a cultural function performed by the artistes of Shilpakala Academy.

Photo: Saiful Islam Kallol