Shireen Parveen Huq, the head of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission, said that the reform opportunities available are a result of the Anti-Discrimination Movement, which has established a duty to take action.
She emphasized the importance of recognizing and addressing disparities while striving to eliminate discrimination against women in all sectors.
She highlighted these issues while speaking at an event organized by ActionAid Bangladesh in a hotel in Dhaka on Thursday to mark International Women's Day 2025.
She said: "Our primary focus must be the elimination of discrimination against women in all areas. We must work to reduce gender inequality and identify the barriers to women's development and progress.”
She added: “Women's rights must be prioritized in all reform commissions. We see this as a challenge and also an opportunity to work towards establishing and advancing women's rights during this critical period."
At the event, three inspiring activists and professionals were awarded the “Nasreen Smriti Medal 2025” in three categories in recognition of their significant contributions to combating sexual harassment, violence, and child marriage; addressing climate change and natural disasters; and promoting women’s leadership in sports.
This year's awardees are rights activists Donaipru Nelly, community leader Rina Khatun, and former footballer Afroza Khandakar.
The event included a showcase of women's success stories, an award ceremony, and an interactive discussion session. The discussion, moderated by Farah Kabir, country director of ActionAid Bangladesh, featured experts from various sectors.
The conversation explored the current state of women's empowerment, challenges, opportunities, and necessary actions to ensure women's participation in all sectors.
Speakers at the discussion acknowledged that while there has been some progress in women's empowerment, it remains insufficient. Women continue to lag behind in many areas.
To build a fair and inclusive society, it is essential to raise awareness about the structural challenges women face, foster a positive perspective on women's empowerment, and encourage collective action. The discussion underscored the need to accelerate actions to ensure equal opportunities for women and girls.
Recognizing women's significant leadership in the Anti-Discrimination Movement, Shireen Parveen Huq, head of the Women's Affairs Reform Commission, said: "There is a deliberate effort to push women back. We must identify who is responsible for this and why it is happening.”
She added: “During the July movement, women from Ruqaiyyah Hall were the first to come forward, but why they disappeared so quickly? No one gives up their position willingly—they were pressured to step back."
She also said: "We haven’t been able to ensure the inclusion of women in key decision-making bodies such as the government’s advisory council. There has been a clear tendency to sideline women.”
“However, we have seen how women have demonstrated remarkable courage by leading movements from the front. We did not expect women to be removed from leadership roles so early," she added.
Ashif Mahmud, director (Project-2), NGO Affairs Bureau, Chief Adviser’s Office, called for collaborative efforts between the government and non-government development organizations to advance women's economic, social, and political empowerment.
He said: "Despite making up half of the population, women remain significantly underrepresented in many areas. We must identify these gaps and work towards women's development. The government must take more responsibility in this regard, both in the national interest and as a matter of accountability."
Farah Kabir highlighted ActionAid Bangladesh’s contributions to women's empowerment, saying: "ActionAid Bangladesh has been prioritizing women's progress by focusing on their protection, recognizing unpaid labour, combating gender-based violence, and promoting women's economic empowerment.”
She added: “We are playing a leading role in establishing a society based on equal rights. We want to accelerate women's empowerment initiatives."
She called for increased participation and engagement from all sectors in advancing women's development.
Md Manir Hossain, additional director (Deputy Secretary) of the Department of Women Affairs (MOWCA), said that efforts are underway to update laws and policies related to women's development.
He said: "We must work from the grassroots level. On behalf of the government, we are committed to working together for nation-building."
Calling for greater media representation of women, Sohrab Hassan, joint editor of Daily Prothom Alo, said: "To ensure women’s progress and inclusion in the media profession, we must bring about widespread societal change."
Sharmin Islam, Gender Team leader at UNDP Bangladesh, said: "Compared to global standards, the progress of women in our country is different. We are still far behind. It is crucial to continually remind policymakers of the need to prioritize women's development."
Dalia Akter, coach of the national under-18 women's handball team said: "In sports, women have achieved more success than men. To promote women's development, we must change our mindset and create long-term plans. Additionally, we need to integrate sports into mainstream education."
As part of its International Women’s Day initiatives, ActionAid Bangladesh also presented key insights from its special podcast series “Na o Nari” through video clips.
The closing remarks of the event were delivered by Ibrahim Khalil Al-Zayed, chairperson of ActionAid International Bangladesh Society.
The event was attended by Md Abdul Hamid, deputy director of the Department of Social Welfare; Meghna Guhathakurta, former member, National Human Rights Commission; Vidya Amrit Khan, managing director of Desh Growth Company; Zarin Zeba Khan, founder of Majhamajhi, along with officials from the Department of Women Affairs, Department of Social Welfare, representatives from government and non-government developments organizations, CSOs, ActionAid Bangladesh officials, young leaders, women’s rights experts, community leaders, prominent entrepreneurs, and members of the media.
