20 NGOs to scout for 7 best women farmers in country

Campaign for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods (CSRL) and 19 other NGOs yesterday launched a countrywide campaign to select the seven best women farmers from the seven divisions.
With a view to establishing rights of women farmers, the campaign will be conducted throughout the month of September, said Monisha Biswas, member secretary of CSRL, at a press conference at Jatiya Press Club in the capital.
“The main purpose of this campaign is to create awareness among the people about women farmers' contribution, at the regional and national level, to food security,” she told reporters.
Another aim of the campaign is to press the country's policymakers to recognise women farmers and adopt necessary measures to ensure their rights, said Monisha, also manager (programme and advocacy) of Oxfam, a UK-based NGO in Dhaka.
She also read out a written statement with a 10-point demand including strengthening women's role in decision making and introducing agriculture cards for women.
Monisha further said the government should buy agro products from women farmers and ensure their access to income and other opportunities.  
Shirin Akhter, a lawmaker from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD)-Inu, Sharmind Neelormi, associate professor of economics at Jahangirnagar University, and AM Badrul Hassan, former economic minister of Bangladesh mission in Geneva, among others, were present.