Sharmeen Soneya Murshid, adviser for the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, has said that without ensuring safety, the development of women will not be possible.
She made the remark while speaking at a views-exchange meeting titled “Bangladesh of the future through women’s eyes” at the National Press Club under the banner of “Kotha Bolo Nari” on Monday.
Sharmeen said: “Those who fought in 2024, and those who are outside of that – I want to engage you. I want to see you as a social force. I want to see you in the effort to create cyber safety. I want you to have a role in our other activities as well.”
She added: “If we cannot ensure safety, women’s development will not occur. If girls are not safe in schools, on the streets, or on public transport, how can they grow in a secure environment? I believe we must pay close attention to this.”
“I feel like boys are falling behind. If that continues, it will also create a new kind of concern,” the adviser said.
“What you are thinking and what you want is very important to us. Based on that, we want to plan our strategy. We are going to form a social force whose major responsibility will be to connect the ministry directly to your homes.”
She added: “The girls we will train will receive gender-related awareness training, physical training, self-defence training, and even paramilitary training. We are preparing to launch this initiative. This will create a platform for women to raise their heads high and confront their challenges.”
Stressing the importance of addressing cyberbullying, she said: “Cyberbullying is so widespread that we need to create a dedicated unit for it.”
She added: “We need to assign several hundred women to computers, divide responsibilities among them to monitor all day, and build alternative narratives.”
