Non-cooperation from the male counterparts, legal constraints, lack of congenial atmosphere and awareness are the main barriers to the women representatives of the country’s local government in playing an active role and deliver the desired services, said speakers yesterday.
Some elected female members of the country’s different union parishads, shared their experiences at a dialogue session organised by the Democracy Watch, a non-government organisation working to promote women empowerment, in the capital.
“After being elected as a member, I only used to go to office and came back my home every day,” said Bithika Parveen, an elected women member of Singasalpur Union in Narail.
“Even, I did not find my name in the list of any committee. I did not know what was my duty in the first seven months of being a local government representative,” she said.
“Aparajita, a project of of the Democracy Watch, helped me to understand my duties and responsibilities,” she added.
Many female members of the local government said most often they are ignored in decision making process by their their male counterparts and chairmen, according to the speakers.
Sometimes husbands of many female members exercise the power, on behalf of their wives, of a representative of the local government and work with the chairmen, they said.
Speaking on the occasion, Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, editor-in-chief and CEO of Boishakhi TV said: “Participation of the women in the local government by election is our great achievement. Once women of our country did not get scope for their vote. I think it has been possible by your endeavors.”
Advocate Roksana Khandakar, Ranjan Karmakar, Taleya Rahman, Aroma Datta, among others, spoke on the occasion.
