Get qualified, realise rights

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday called upon the country's women to become more qualified through education and training to realise their own rights.

"Rights have to be realised and qualification is needed to realise it. This qualification would come through education and training," she said.

The premier was addressing a programme, organised by the women and children affairs ministry at Bangladesh Shishu Academy Auditorium, to mark the International Women's Day-2021. She joined the event virtually from the Gono Bhaban.

The theme of this year's International Women's Day is "Women in leadership, achieving an equal future in a Covid-19 world".

Referring to Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's move to make primary education free and compulsory for women, Hasina said her government was now providing scholarships to students up to higher education and over 70 percent of the beneficiaries were females.

She said both males and females should be educated to build the society.

The PM said men and women have to work together to take the society forward.

On the occasion of the International Women's Day-2021, five successful women were presented with Joyeeta awards. The awardees are: Hasina Begum Nila, Miftahul Jannat, Mosammat Helennesa Begum, Robijan and Anjana Bala Bishwas.

On behalf of the PM, State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira handed the awards to the recipients.

Hasina said after assuming office in 1996, her then government saw that there were no women justices in the higher court, no women secretaries in the administration and no facilities for women at many places of the country.

But the Awami League government took initiatives to appoint women to those positions as Bangabandhu had paved the way by changing the law immediately after the country's independence. During the Pakistan period, women were barred from taking judicial service exams to get jobs, she added.

The PM said women in Bangladesh now have the opportunity to serve the High Court, Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, army, navy, air force, Border Guard Bangladesh, Rab, local government and everywhere.

Hasina said when the local government law was framed, the government kept a provision in it so that women could take up one-third of leadership positions in local government bodies and play a role in developing the society.

She urged the women to engage themselves in income generating activities instead of sitting idle at home.

Mentioning that a woman could become an ideal housewife, an ideal mother and an ideal woman, Hasina expressed optimism that the winners of Joyeeta award would show the path to others.

UN Resident Coordinator to Bangladesh Mia Seppo also spoke at the programme, with State Minister Fazilatun Nessa Indira in the chair.

At the outset of the ceremony, an inauguration song and a documentary on the Liberation War, Mujib Borsho and women development were screened.