Gender equality should be ensured in all fields: Speaker

Speaker of the National Parliament Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury suggested that gender equality should be ensured in all fields of education and employment, especially those related to technology to build a smart country.

“To build a smart Bangladesh, we must pay special attention to inclusive development, and we cannot neglect anyone in this regard. Improving women’s economic status is an essential part of building a smart society and a smart country”, she said while attending a seminar titled 'Smart Women: Smart Bangladesh' recently.

“Equality should be ensured in all fields of education and employment, especially those related to technology. Women's capabilities and involvement should also be expanded in the fields of entrepreneurship, freelancing, and social media activity”, she stated in her speech as the chief guest.

“Currently, 12,000 women are representing the local government. Therefore, there is no reason to perceive women as weaker or less capable”, Dr Shirin said, according to a press release issued on Sunday.

Innovation and Development Associates (iDEA) Foundation recently organised the seminar at the LD Hall of the National Parliament House on the role and participation of women in the overall development of the country and building a smart Bangladesh through the achievement of the SDG.

President of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Meher Afroz Chumkim who present at the event as a special guest, said that “Smartness refers to confidence and self-assurance and we should not allow religion, caste, colour, or disability to affect this.”

Seeing women as subordinate is the biggest failure of society, she said, adding that adequate opportunities and training should be ensured for women.

The government has been working on this tirelessly but others also should come forward from their respective positions in this regard, she suggested.

Md Abul Kalam Azad, vice chairman and former principal secretary and principal coordinator of SDG’s affairs of the iDEA Foundation gave the welcome speech and moderated the open discussion.

Nasima Begum, former chairman of the Human Rights Commission and former senior secretary, while presenting the keynote paper said that according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) survey 2022, around 50.4 per cent of the country’s total population are women.

“Banks in Bangladesh have reserved 15 per cent of total SME funds for women entrepreneurs. However, notable barriers women face are social status, lack of cyber security, the threat of online harassment, child marriage, and more”, she said.

“Trafficking of women and children is also a major challenge. Furthermore, the acceptance of women in technology roles is very low. Only 1-8 per cent of women are employed in software, artificial intelligence and advanced technology. Actions should be taken to move forward by addressing these barriers, especially through improving coordination and cooperation among all stakeholders for women’s empowerment. Furthermore, it is important to build an ecosystem where women are inspired, encouraged and rewarded for harnessing technology and embracing entrepreneurship” Nasima Begum stated.

Mohammad Shahidul Haque, secretary and former senior secretary of the iDEA Foundation; Rubaba Dowla, country managing director of Oracle Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan; Dr Tania Haque, prof at the Women and Gender Studies Department of Dhaka University; and Farida Yeasmin, highway police additional DIG (North Division) also spoke at the event.

The summary of the seminar was presented by Khondoker Shakhawat Ali, senior psychologist and consultant at iDEA Foundation while Kazi M Aminul Islam, chairman and former secretary of iDEA Foundation, former alternate executive director of World Bank and former chairman of Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), presided over the event.

The Innovation and Development Associates (iDEA) Foundation is an organisation focusing on socio-economic development in Bangladesh. It is engaged in independent research, policy analysis, advocacy, consultancy and project implementation.