Women leaders must for development

Women empowerment and leadership are necessary for social and political development of the country, said State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury yesterday in Chittagong.
She was addressing the inaugural ceremony of a two-week long programme Women in Public Service Summer Institute organised at Asian University for Women (AUW) in Chittagong.
Women leaders are more persuasive, patient and empathetic. They have the ability to read a situation more accurately, she said.
Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury said women are better budget managers as they have experience of managing budget in family life.
Terming women as change makers, she said women leadership is a process of transformation. It is essential to bring women in positions of power in business, government and private sectors.
The state minister said women contribute to 40 percent of labour force in the world.
Women cannot become leaders unless gender equality is established, said Dr Rangita de Silva, who gave the keynote speech.
She said 19 percent of parliament members in the world are women and in Asia 18 percent of parliament members are women but there are nine countries where women absent in the parliament.
The two-week long programme will provide public service and leadership training to 40 students, from six different countries, of AUW, said Vice-Chancellor of AUW Dr Fahima Aziz.