Ahead of International Women’s Day, civil society organizations on Friday called on the government to significantly increase budget allocations to ensure women’s safety, expand skills development and create more employment opportunities.
The call came during a discussion meeting held on Saturday, at the training hall of Nari Unnayan Shakti under the theme “The national budget must be increased to ensure women’s safety, skills, employment, and overall advancement.”
The program was jointly organized by Nari Unnayan Shakti, Forum for Culture and Human Development, Young Women for Development, Rights and Climate, and Domestic Worker Employer Association Bangladesh.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Afroja Parvin, executive director of Nari Unnayan Shakti and president of the Domestic Worker Employer Association Bangladesh, said increasing government budget allocations for women’s development, skills training, employment generation and social protection is essential to ensure women’s safety and economic empowerment.
Sahida Wahab, president of the Forum for Culture and Human Development, said ensuring women’s rights is crucial for national development and requires coordinated efforts from both the government and civil society.
Nusrat Sultana Afroj, executive chairperson of Young Women for Development, Rights and Climate, stressed the importance of strengthening young women’s leadership and expanding technical and digital skills while creating climate-resilient employment opportunities.
Nasima Khan, secretary general of the Domestic Worker Employer Association Bangladesh, highlighted the need for legal protection, fair wages and social security for women working in the informal sector, particularly domestic workers.
Speaking at the event, Dr Sultan Muhammad Razzak, a member of the Bangladesh Shishu Adhikar Forum, emphasized the importance of ensuring safe workplaces and improving access to loans and market opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
Other speakers included freedom fighter and labour leader Abul Hossain, Tasnuva Haque of SHILID, Murshida Akhter of NDWWU, Swapna Akter of BMWF, Advocate Laizu Akter of BHWF, and Asha Akter, general secretary of the Bangladesh Health Service Workers Association.
Ten-point demands
During the meeting, participants presented a ten-point demand to the government to strengthen women’s safety, rights and economic empowerment.
The demands include ensuring effective law enforcement to guarantee women’s safety; increasing the national budget for women’s safety, skills development and employment; expanding women’s access to technology, digital skills and technical training; and providing easier access to loans, market opportunities and business support for women entrepreneurs.
They also called for stronger monitoring mechanisms to prevent sexual harassment and violence at workplaces, legal recognition and social protection for women working in the informal sector including domestic workers and ensuring safe transportation and working environments for women.
Other demands include expanding skills development and employment opportunities for rural women, ensuring education, healthcare and nutrition for women and adolescent girls, and increasing women’s participation in leadership and decision-making at all levels.
Speakers expressed hope that the government and relevant stakeholders would take effective measures to ensure women’s safety, dignity and economic empowerment.