We have to work together to create a safer environment for women: HPM Sheikh Hasina to global leaders

"We have to work together to create a safer environment for women and girls, equip them with the right skills and education, and empower them as agents of social transformation," she told the opening ceremony of the "Global Women Leaders' Forum" at the Bulgarian capital.

She added: "and to achieve that, we need sincere commitments, and strong leadership.

Sheikh Hasina made the call while delivering the keynote speech as the chief guest at Bulgaria's National Art Gallery in the afternoon.

"Let's today renew our commitment to make this world a better place for all, better place for women, where we can live with dignity, free from all fear . . . join me in saying that we can do it," she said.

The Premier put emphasis on undertaking concerted efforts nationally and internationally to achieve the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

"We have adopted a transformative 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in New York last year and the new development agenda has placed strong emphasis on gender equality and empowerment of women," she said.

She pointed out that goal 5 in particular and various other related targets added renewed impetus to bring positive changes "in the lives of our women and girls".

"We should seize this opportunity . . . I firmly believe that only through concerted efforts nationally and internationally, we can achieve the ambitious goals and targets we have set for ourselves," the Bangladesh premier told the function.

Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Labour and Social Policy Ivaylo Kalfin, Energy Minister Temenuzka Petkova, Regional Development and Public Works Minister Lilyana Pavlova, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, Bulgaria's National Assembly Chairwoman Tsetska Tsacheva and CEO of Siemens Bulgaria and Chairperson of Council of Women in Business in Bulgaria Boriana Manolova also delivered statements at the event.

The Prime Minister said she is committed to breaking all barriers to achieve equality of men and women.

She said one of the major steps taken by her government was to formulate and implement an ambitious and groundbreaking National Women Development Policy, which guarantees equal opportunity and entitlement for women.

"In this policy, we have given highest priority to education and economic and social self-reliance of women," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said women's participation and engagement as one of the main drivers of national development is firmly embedded in the national development plans and budgets.

"We spend over 2 percent of our GDP for social protection coverage and the most of the beneficiaries of social protection are the less fortunate and destitute women," she said.

Elaborating the government measures for the development of female education, the Prime Minister said the government had made education free for girls up to Grade 12 and planned to make it free up to the tertiary level.

"Nearly 17.2 million students from primary to post-graduate levels have been brought under various stipend programmes . . . we also offer free meals for students from poorer families, which have helped arrest dropout rate and achieve gender parity at primary and secondary levels," she said.

Sheikh Hasina said the government earmarked 60 percent of teaching positions at the primary level for women. "These proactive policies and measures have led to almost 100 percent enrolment rate at primary school and achieve gender parity," she said.

Alongside education, she said, her government also prioritized on ensuring maternal health and nutrition. "We provide reproductive healthcare services to women through 16, 500 Community Clinics and Union Health Centres in addition to established hospitals across the country."

The Prime Minister said the government has introduced Maternal Health Voucher Scheme, which provides a package of three antenatal checkups, safe delivery by skilled birth attendants and one post-natal checkup among others.

She said political empowerment is another area where the government has made remarkable strides. "We have some outstanding political role models in the country."

"Bangladesh is perhaps the only country in the world today that has got women as its Prime Minister and Leader of the House, Deputy Leader of House, Leader of the Opposition, and the Speaker," Sheikh Hasina said.

Moreover, she said Bangladesh currently have 70 women parliament members constituting 20 percent of the House while "we have made it mandatory for all political parties to ensure 33 percent female membership in their party committees by the year 2020".

The government, she said, also introduced a system to elect women vice chairman in various level of local government bodies. One-third or 33 percent seats are reserved for women in the lowest tier of local government, the Union Councils.

She said currently, over 12,500 elected women representatives are serving in the local government bodies. "Through such pragmatic efforts, we have been able to change the traditional mindset of the society, which once looked down upon women's participation in elections."

She said now the families not only encourage their female members but also take active part in their electioneering.

She said the participation of women is also growing in other sectors and professions, such as the civil service, the judiciary, armed forces, elite security force and in other technical professions.

"The print and electronic media are now vibrant with the presence of many women journalists . . . we have sportswomen excelling in cricket, football and even in mountaineering."

She said women were serving in UN peacekeeping operations; women are diplomats; fighter pilots; and leading business entrepreneurs while Bangladeshi women are making important contribution to foreign exchange earnings as migrant workers in various parts of the world.

Thus, women in Bangladesh have truly broken all barriers and are now active development agents in the nation-building process.

"Despite significant advancement, we also have challenges . . . we are yet to fully succeed in stopping incidents of violence against women, child marriage or trafficking of women and girls," Sheikh Hasina said.

The premier said her government took strong steps to end these social evils, through a number of strict laws and administrative measures.

"We are investing heavily in raising greater social awareness against such crimes and violence," she said.

For instance, she said, the government has adopted laws which provide for compensations for victims of violence and trafficking.

"Child marriages too are being addressed strongly, and we have pledged to eliminate child marriage from Bangladesh at the earliest."