The three game changers
After her marriage at a young age, Rubina Ahmed, now 32 years of age, had stumbled and veered off from materialising her dream of being a police officer.
Her troubled marriage in 2001 with Mohammad Riaz, who along with his family members battered Rubina for dowry, could not hold her down. With an unyielding attitude Rubina stood up, divorced her husband, became self-reliant and now dreams that her daughter would become a police officer.
Rubina and two other Bangladeshi female game changers -- Shandha Rani Mistri, a UP member and Sumaya Rahaman, a student at Rajshahi University -- yesterday shared their stories at “Nordic International Women's Day Celebration” in the capital.
Embassies of Norway, Denmark and Sweden jointly organized the programme at the residence of Norway Ambassador.
Rubina went on as saying, “In 2008 I finally sent the divorce letter to my husband. I got Tk 5.37 lakh from my husband in den mohor.”
With that money “I bought a small house outside Dhaka and the rental from the house became my monthly source of income. One Stop Crisis Centre gave me a sewing machine with which I started sewing clothing and making [stuffed] dolls. I started making decent money by selling the dolls at local markets as well as to my neighbours.”
“After several years of struggle, I am now self-dependent. I am happy with my life. Self-reliance has created a sense of pride and dignity in me,” Rubina said, adding that “Now I want to materialize my dream by making my daughter a police officer.”
The struggle of Shandha Rani, an elected member of Banaripara Union Parishad in Barisal, was to establish her rights at her in-laws.
“My husband died soon after our marriage and my parents too passed away within a short period. My brothers migrated to India after selling all our lands,” said Shandha adding that “This left me with no alternative but to stay with my in-laws' house.”
“They, on various occasions, attempted to force me out of the house, but I didn't give up my rights to stay there. I went to the court and got the verdict in my favour.”
Twenty-year-old student Sumaya told the audience how she is doing part in making the campus of Rajshahi University safer for women.
As the main guest of the programme, Rokia Afzal Rahman, president of Bangladesh Federation of Women Entrepreneurs, also shared her success story on how she attained her position in the society braving all challenges.
Rokia, a leading entrepreneur in the country, said “Many women in even rural areas are now earning money with the assistance of micro financing and they are getting respect in their family as well as in the society.”
Comments