HerStories: An inspiration for all

The increasing incidents of violence against women and children have made the parents scared of letting their kids stay out at night for long, said Cultural Affairs Minister Asaduzzaman Noor yesterday.

“Women would not have to face such problems if men were cooperative,” he said while speaking at a book launching ceremony during the second day of Dhaka Lit Fest.

The minister unveiled the cover of the book titled, “HerStories: Adventures of Supergirls”, as the chief guest at a ceremony held in the Bangla Academy auditorium.

The book, a collection of illustrated stories for children, was written based on the lives of 20 extraordinary women in the country, who are pioneers and successful in their own arenas.

The minister said women can move forward if they and their counterparts work together.

About the book, he said, “All the write-ups are important and will inspire us all.”

Zareen Mahmud Hosein, founder of HerStory Foundation, said the book also aims to inspire future generations.

“It started with the narration of a little girl named Amiya, who tells the stories of those legendary women,” said Zareen, one of the editors of the book.

The book was the first publication of HerStory Foundation and it was published in association with Nokta Press, said the foundation's officials.

Its English version was published at the fest yesterday and the Bangla version will be published during the Ekushey book fair next year, they added.

At the programme, Nishat Majumder, the first Bangladeshi woman to conquer Mount Everest; and Mabia Akter Simanta, a gold medalist weightlifter; shared the challenges they had to face, and how they overcame those.