The State Minister for Women and Children’s Affairs, Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury, let it be known recently that the government plans to announce its National Women’s Development Policy soon. The revival of the post-Beijing, CEDAW-inspired 1997 policy, for which progressive women activists have been struggling over the past many years, seems most likely. Hopefully, that would [...]

Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina has underscored the need for political empowerment of the country’s womenfolk for ensuring their contribution to economic activities for elevating their social dignity.
The PM said this while addressing a function organised by the Ministry of Women and Children’s Affairs in the city Thursday on the occasion of Begum Rokeya Award [...]

Viquarunnissa School and College clinched the title of the 12th Delta Life Women’s College Handball Competition with a 9-5 win over Siddeshwari Girl’s College in the final at the Dhammondi Women’s Sports Complex ground yesterday.
The champions faced a tough challenge from the opponents in the first half, which was locked at 2-2, but they finally [...]

A large number of Bangladeshi women migrants, who work as domestic helps in the Arab countries, face physical and sexual abuse at the hands of their employers, a report of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) said Tuesday.
“These poor women workers ultimately lose their jobs and are deported, when they are found HIV-positive in mandatory [...]

The city beauty parlours both for men and women are doing brisk business ahead of Eid and Puja as they are flooded with ladies and gents eager to beautify themselves.
They are going to the parlours to get different hair dos, hair colours and hair pluck, facial, pedicure, manicure, blitch, fair polish and so on.
“Everybody likes [...]

Gabapentin, a drug used to treat seizures, improves the quality of sleep in menopausal women bothered by hot flashes, University of Rochester Medical Center researchers report in the Journal of Women’s Health.
Approximately 40 percent of menopausal women have trouble sleeping. They often have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep throughout the night.

Home Minister Advocate Sahara Khatun has said the government is contemplating a new law to control domestic violence in the country.
“There are many laws in our country to control violence against women… the need is for their proper implementation,” she told reporters after speaking at the ‘Consultation on Regional Arrangement for Creating South Asia Convention [...]

Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) Saturday unveiled Women Entrepreneurs’ Directory 2009 and a research-based book and CD on Kasida.
Information and Cultural Affairs Minister Abul Kalam Azad unveiled the directory along with the book and the CD at a ceremony at the DCCI Auditorium in the city.

Women bear the disproportionate burden of climate change, but have so far been largely overlooked in the debate about how to address problems of rising seas, droughts, melting glaciers and extreme weather, concludes The State of World Population 2009, released Wednesday by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, says a press release.
“Poor women in poor [...]

Women treated for breast cancer are at a higher risk of a relapse if they have “dense” breasts, say researchers, reports BBC.
Those with denser breasts are four times more likely to see their cancer return, compared to women with less dense breasts, says the journal Cancer.

A lot of women are getting into crime, even serious ones, like carrying our killing missions. They say there are three reasons why thugs recruit women. The first is to hoodwink the law enforcers. They are not in the least hoodwinked as they know most of the criminals and their ’sisters’. But they cannot do [...]

The Alliance for Women Workers Rights (AWWR), a new organization to promote equal rights of women, was launched through a function Sunday held at the National Press Club.
The state minister for Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian formally launched the Alliance as chief guest.
She said “we have to work together to establish 50 per cent [...]

I am Noorjehan Murshid and I come from Murshidabad. I was educated at the Victoria Institution in Calcutta and the Universities of Calcutta and Boston. My first job after my graduation from Calcutta was that of Headmistress of a Girls’ High School in Barisal. Before my M.A. results came out, I was appointed Superintendent of [...]

PROPOSED changes to the constitution of the Dominican Republic could lead to a ban on abortions, putting the lives of women and girls at risk and potentially increasing maternal deaths in the country, Amnesty International has warned.
Article 30 of the constitution would introduce the inviolability of life from “conception to death” under the proposal. It [...]

Breaking the barriers
Young, talented, dynamic and die-hard proponents of women power, Jesin, Alif, and Mishu represent a new breed of women who are stamping on an old stereotyped template to come out with conviction and flair. Faizul Khan Tanim and Tahmina Shafique get a feel of that ineffable dazzle photos Momena Jalil
Kazi Jesin
Needless to say that, [...]

AGAINST the backdrop of increasing incidents of extra-judicial punishments inflicted on underprivileged women in the rural regions, leading to whipping and caning in the name of fatwa, the High Court (HC) has ordered the law enforcers and local government bodies to take immediate measures against such penalties. The HC’s order came after hearing a public [...]

Borsha* did not know she had no right to fall in love. In fact, she did not even know, she had

no right to be. She was one of the many floating prostitutes of a mazaar area, who existed, but not really. She was a fool who made the mistake of falling in love, an imbecile [...]