On the occasion of Women's Day 2024, Democracy International organized a national conference entitled “Economic Empowerment for the Advancement of Women's Political Leadership” to bridge the gap between women's economic empowerment and the development of political leadership in Bangladesh.
One hundred women leaders from three major political parties—Awami League, BNP, and Jatiya Party—attended the conference at a hotel on Sunday.
The theme of the conference was “Invest in Women: Accelerate Progress.”
Dr Md Abdul Alim, principal director of Democracy International, analyzed how financial independence can encourage women's participation in politics and empower the party.
Considering the wealth disclosures made by female candidates in Bangladesh's twelfth national election, Dr Alim found that those with comparatively greater incomes and wealth were better able to overcome obstacles to political engagement and obtain more opportunities within their parties.
The Bangladesh Strengthening Political Accountability for Citizen Empowerment (B-SPACE) project is being carried out by Democracy International with funding from the UK International Development (FCDO). Its goals are to promote tolerance and cooperation between political parties in Bangladesh and strengthen internal democracy within those parties.
Following panel talks with representatives from the media, civil society, and political parties, recommendations for tactical approaches to advance gender parity and boost women's participation in politics were made.
Member of Parliament Dr Salim Mahmud, the research and information secretary of the Bangladesh Awami League Central Executive Committee, said that investing in women is a multifaceted issue that involves not just providing financial resources but also overseeing their expenditure.
Advocate Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, the joint secretary-general of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), supported the idea of removing the clause prohibiting the forfeiture of the deposits of female candidates who attended the conference and suggested that the media be involved in this issue.
Ahsan Adelur Rahman, the treasurer and vice-chairman of the Jatiya Party, stated that the Election Commission needs to certify that parties are required to provide 33% of their nominations to women.
Women's empowerment, according to Aroma Dutta MP, Executive Director of Preptrust, is a gauge of how far women's economic activity has come.
Sharmin Murshid, Executive Director of Brati Samaj Kalyan Sansthan, highlighted the historical perspectives of men and women and stated that women had to struggle harder to advance.
The national conference was opened by Aminul Ehsan, deputy chief of party (program) at Democracy International. The program was run by Deputy Director Anindya Rahman and Senior Director Lipika Biswas. The closing speech was given by Dana L Olds, chief of party at Democracy International.
Participants in the panel discussions included Salim Mahmud MP, Research and Information Affairs Secretary of the Central Executive Committee of the Bangladesh Awami League; Advocate Syed Moazzem Hossain Alal, Joint Secretary-General of the National Executive Committee of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party; Ahsan Adelur Rahman, Vice Chairman and Treasurer of the Jatiya Party; Aroma Dutta MP, Executive Director of PRIPTrust; and Sharmin Murshid, Executive Director of Broti Samaj Kalyan Sanstha.
