Concerted efforts needed for women's empowerment

Concerted efforts are needed for economic and political empowerment of women in the society, said the grassroots women at a workshop in the city yesterday.
They said the country's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be achieved without the uplift of women and children.
The workshop titled 'Voices from the grassroots women' was organised by the Local Consultative Sub-group on Women's Advancement and Gender Equality (LCG-WAGE) at ICDDR,B auditorium in the city as a part of its programmes of the International Women's Day tomorrow.
At the workshop, seven grassroots women from different remote areas of the country shared their experiences with the audience highlighting their successes in achieving their rights and their contributions to social changes.
Priya Mandol of Manikganj said women have played a significant role in saving natural and agricultural resources.
"We need to have access to our seeds and natural resources," she added.
Meherun, another poor woman from the same district, said, "Thousands of disadvantaged women like me have overcome food insecurity and low social status in a sustainable way through Vulnerable Group Development (VGD) programme. The VGD has helped us improve our nutritional and economic status. Our children are better fed now."
Rekha Rani, a former union parishad member of Thakurgaon, stressed the need for concerted efforts to stop early marriage and violence against women.
"We shall have to come out from houses if we want to make changes and fight together to stop all social evils," she added.
Halima of Dhaka stressed the need for a quality reproductive health services.
Salma Nazrul of Manikgang said, "Education, skills and income are the important conditions for gaining status in the family and the community."
She is one of the poor women who received training on fish culture and credit out of the savings money.
The grassroots women also narrated the challenges that they are facing in various fields, including participation in development activities, community healthcare, reproductive health, education, micro-finance, gender equality, dowry-free marriage, violence against women and food security.
The workshop underscored the need for creating an atmosphere favourable for the women to play greater role in development activities.