The 10th Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Meeting (10WAMM) began in Dhaka on Monday at the Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was scheduled to officially inaugurate the meeting which has the theme “Women’s Leadership for Enterprise,” in the afternoon.
“Our development goals and progress will not be realised if half of the population is left out,” Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma told a press briefing at the Hotel Sonargoan.
Newly-appointed State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki and Meena Shivdas, gender advisor of Commonwealth Secretariat, were present at the briefing yesterday where the Secretary-General emphasised that the success of Commonwealth nations depends on women’s leadership – political, social and economic – at all levels.
State minister for Women and Children Affairs Meher Afroze Chumki said Bangladesh has set an example for the world by actively empowering women in politics and small industry and this background was part of the reason why the meeting has been organised in Bangladesh.
Chumki said the objective of the meeting is to develop a road map for the Commonwealth to follow to increase its role in promoting women led entrepreneurship. The minister said barriers to women in enterprise will be identified by the meeting to help it map the next course of action.
“We will discuss how the products of handicrafts by grassroots level entrepreneurs can get access to world market,” Chumki said.
Replying to a question as to how women’s entrepreneurship can be promoted in Bangladesh where some Muslims oppose free mixing of men and women, Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma said, “We encourage the equal opportunity for men and women for the advancement of the society.”
When asked what role the Commonwealth can play for marketing products by grassroots level women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, he said, “We can help by advocacy and by negotiating for marketing.”
“The new Commonwealth Charter recognises that gender equality and women’s empowerment are basic human rights and fundamental to development. It is smart economics to invest in women entrepreneurs and provide them with access to finance and markets. Women’s leadership helps nurture stable and sustainable economies,” the secretary-general said.
Sharma said the meeting recognised the importance of creating a policy environment that enables women, through political and corporate leadership, to contribute to the economic advancement of their communities and countries.
Over three days, delegates will explore women’s financial inclusion, discuss leadership for democracy and enterprise and priorities for the global gender agenda after 2015, which is the target date for the Millennium Development Goals and the Commonwealth Plan of Action for Gender Equality, the secretary added.
Bangladesh is hosting the meeting at a time when the prime minister, the leader of the opposition and the speaker are women.
Thirty countries are participating at the meeting. A total of 15 ministerial level officials will attend along with bureaucrats, civil society organisations and partner agencies.
