Ensure gender-friendly environment in workplaces

Speakers at a workshop yesterday called for creating a gender-friendly environment in workplaces and ensuring participation of women in decision-making to achieve empowerment of women.
Karmojibi Nari, a platform for working women, organised the workshop on 'Establishing rights and dignity of women' at Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU) auditorium in the city.
Speaking as the chief guest, Meher Afroz Chumki, chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on women and children affairs ministry, called for proper recognition of women's contribution to their families and the service sector.
She also pledged to reinstate the National Women Policy of 1997.
Presenting the keynote paper, Karmojibi Nari general secretary Sharmin Kabir placed a number of recommendations to ensure women's empowerment.
She called for steps to ensure that women should account for one-third of decision makers at all levels such as parliament, local government, political party, cabinet, administration, social organisation and trade union.
A gender-friendly environment should be created in workplaces in line with the 'ILO's Decent Work Agenda', safe movement of women should be ensured and a law should be formulated to prevent physical and mental torture of women, she added.
Other recommendations include formulating a minimum wage act, ensuring equal wage for women, allowing maternity leave of four months, formulating a law on agricultural labour and giving recognition to the rural women workforce.
Sharmin Kabir also urged the government to introduce direct election to the reserved seats for women, stop fatwa and restore National Women Policy of 1997.
Karmojibi Nari President Shirin Akhter, executive director Rokeya Rafiq and executive committee member Umme Hasan Jhalmal also spoke.