Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Friday stressed equal participation of women alongside men in political decision making as this only could help achieve the real development and progress of a nation.
“In Bangladesh, we celebrate empowerment of women Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman envisioned a Bangladesh where women would have equal rights as men. This legacy has inspired me to carry on the work in ensuring that all genders enjoy equal rights. Only this can help achieve real development and progress of a nation,” she said.
The prime minister, Special Adviser to the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), said this in a video message on ‘Women Leadership in Politics” delivered in the opening session of a special conference of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP) at Seoul, South Korea Friday.
Hasina said Bangladesh is possibly the only nation in the world today with women occupying the position of the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition; and the Deputy Leader of the House, all at one time.
She said her government’s policies, especially the 2011 National Women Development Policy, have put women at the centre of its development agenda with focus on education, health and employment.
“As a woman politician and as a Special Adviser to the ICAPP, I assure that I shall work with you in building women’s leadership and empowerment in our own countries and in Asia,” Hasina said expressing her firm resolve to work with women political leaders in building women’s leadership and empowerment in her own country and in Asia.
The prime minister said she was confident that the participants of this Special Conference would bring to the fore the challenges faced by women today, particularly in political decision making. “I’m also confident that we shall learn from the successes of countries and societies to find policies and programmes to bring qualitative changes in the political arena.”
She also mentioned the political and socio-economic empowerment of Bangladesh rural women to ensure their access to food, services, resources, and to reduce poverty.
“To empower them, we provide micro-credit loans for small businesses; employ them in local development works; cover them with social safety nets; give girls free education at primary, secondary and post-secondary levels,” she added.
Thus women participation in the labour force has risen from 24% in 2010 to 36% at present, Hasina said adding that her government’s success in providing health services has reduced ‘Maternal Mortality Rate’ and earned the country the UN MDG Award.
For political empowerment, the Prime Minister said her government’s action has led to the election of 14, 000 women to local government bodies; 69 to parliament; five as cabinet ministers and one as a Whip.
The premier said 30 percent reserved posts for women have succeeded many to reach high positions in the judicial, administrative, and diplomatic, in armed and law enforcement services, and encouraged them to serve also in UN peacekeeping missions.
She thanked ICAPP for the honor of making her a Special Adviser to this important organisation and was looking forward to attending in its future conferences.
Hasina also congratulated ICAPP for successfully assembling so many Asian women political leaders to discuss women leadership in politics.
The prime minister, however, regretted as she could not attend the conference physically due to her preoccupations at home and hoped to attend its future conferences.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki moon and South Korean President Park Geun-hye were two other world leaders who sent prerecorded video messages for the session.
