‘Higher edn, equal role in economy, politics a must’
Higher education and equal participation in economic and political activities are essential for Asian women to get past the class and gender barriers, speakers yesterday said.
They called for vigorous efforts on the part of governments and international organisations to pave the way for women to access the opportunities.
They were speaking at the inaugural of an international symposium on "Overcoming History: Rethinking Rights and Opportunities for Women in Asia", organised by the Asian University for Women (AUW) at Radisson Water Garden Hotel in the city.
Academics and rights activists from home and abroad are taking part in the two-day symposium.
The speakers said women in Asia historically face a myriad of hardships: female infanticide due to traditional preference for boys, unequal access to quality care and nutritious food, and less access to education and proprietorship.
"Well educated women become active leaders and participants in cultural and political movements that will transform society and engender the changes they themselves will demand," Dr Hoon Eng Khoo, provost and acting vice chancellor of AUW, said.
She said women must take charge of their own political destinies in order to make real progress in women's rights.
"The Asian University for Women's mission was born from this need and has identified the necessity for its students to be the agents of change their societies need," Dr Khoo said.
Prof Zoya Hasan of Jawaharlal Nehru University in India said a meagre percentage of women make it to the parliament in Asia, adding that most of them owe their seats to dynastic politics.
She said few countries have come up with reserved parliamentary seats for women to make up for their limited participation in politics.
“I strongly support such reservation of quota, but this should not be the end, rather a means to the end, which is equal opportunity," she said.
Prof Zoya Hasan, a member of the National Commission for Minorities in India, said parity is not possible unless women and the marginalised are politically and socially empowered.
Danish MP Lone Dybkjaer said though women's political status in Europe is comparatively better, they are still struggling for equal rights.
She said only 38 percent MPs in Denmark are women.
Dybkjaer, a former minister and member of the European Parliament, said there is a big difference between the subjects men and women choose for higher studies.
She said citing as an example that lesser number of women are seen studying IT and fewer women are seen in the IT business even though both men and women are keen to study the subject.
The inequalities between men and women must end, she said, adding: "If we want to succeed, we must fight to have half of the world for us. If women get higher education, they can serve as good leaders as well."
She said ninety percent victims of human trafficking are women who end up in the worst form of slavery. "We must work to stop human slavery."
Human rights activist Hameeda Hossain said though there are some good laws in Bangladesh, religious and cultural norms of male domination over females remain unchanged.
In many cases, she said, women who were seriously repressed on religious grounds, did not get enough state interventions to ensure justice for them.
Hameeda said women play an important part in Bangladesh's export earnings, but are still subject to widespread sexual harassments at work.
"We must recognise their contribution and the states, besides collective efforts of the NGOs, must come forward to protect and promote them," she said.
Kathy Pike, who sits on the board of directors of the Asian University for Women Support Foundation (AUWSF), chaired the inaugural session.
Transparency International (UK) Trustee Judy Moody Stuart, Iranian human rights activist Mehrangiz Kar, Kathy Matsui, managing director of Chief Japan Strategist, former US ambassador to Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Lauren Moriarty, Rangita DeSilva of Wellesley Centres for Women at Wellesley College, USA, Shahida Jaffrey, vice chancellor of SBK Women's University, Pakistan, Jyoti Macwan of Self-Employed Women's Association, India, Regina Papa, executive director of AUW Access Academy, Chittagong, Vivian Lowery Derryck, member of the board of directors of AUWSF and Duth Kimsru of Cambodia also spoke at various sessions.
John D and Catherine T MacArthur Foundation is co-sponsoring the event, dedicated to the memory of Dr Allan Rosenfield, dean emeritus of the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, who was also the chairman of board of Brac USA.
The symposium will wrap up at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre today. Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed and Nobel Laureate Dr Muhammad Yunus are scheduled to be present.
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