Labelling women ‘unskilled’ a tactic to undermine them
Dr Selim Jahan tells IWD discussion
Men in society have created an illusion by terming women "unskilled" to establish their superiority over women, said a former economics professor at Dhaka University (DU) yesterday.
Dr Selim Jahan, also former director of the United Nations Development Programme's Human Development Report Office, said such misinterpretations create an inferiority complex in the minds of women, and that is why societies are not functioning optimally.
He said this while delivering a lecture on "Nari Maney Anari Noy" at Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium of Social Science Building of the university. Department of Women and Gender Studies of DU organised it on occasion of International Women's Day on March 8.
Selim said without ensuring women's empowerment and gender equality, the country cannot be developed.
"If a woman is constantly termed 'unskilled', at one stage she will start to believe her contributions are not enough, and she is inefficient and inexperienced; thus she will ultimately lose her confidence," he added.
He alleged that many men in the country still think "women's household chores are unproductive," though such activities have been contributing in a large extent in a family.
"Men involved in outdoor activities shamefully want to establish their supremacy, insulting women," he said.
He urged everyone to move away from such patriarchal notions.
"Men must understand that the repression of women will also hinder their own journey; women must awaken their own strength; it is also the responsibility of men to create that field by changing their attitude," he said.
Speaking as chief guest, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman said participation of women in the workplace must be increased and the empowerment of women in the family must also be ensured for reaching SDGs by 2030.
DWGS chairman Dr Sanzida Akhter presided over the programme which was also addressed, among others, by DU's Dean of Social Sciences Faculty, Dr Sadeka Halim and UNDP project director Abdul Mannan.