A recent report by IRIN (Integrated Regional Information Networks) highlighted an issue that has been neglected by the media for some time now — acid attacks and the failure of the authorities to control it at the source. Although the number of cases of acid attacks have gone down considerably (According to ASF, there were [...]

Oppression of women is as old as the human civilisation. History only narrates and highlights the bravado of kings and warriors, carefully sidelining the contributions of women and the inspiration they provided. Featuring the triumphs of eight historic and contemporary women, Yukta, an organisation of recitors, arranged a programme at the British Council Auditorium (on [...]

Finance Minister AMA Muhith at his budget speech yesterday said the government would initiate positive steps to ensure gender equity across the economy. “We want to bring women in the mainstream of economic development and good governance,” said the finance minister. “For the first time I am presenting a separate statement before the parliament regarding [...]

How do you judge the progress of a society? This query raises another question: what is the status of women within the society? Treatment of women mirrors a society. It implies that the yardstick of judging a society is to measure as to what extent women enjoy rights as equal as men in all spheres [...]

Empowerment of women is a process through which women in general and poor women in particular get the opportunity to join the workforce, contribute to family income, and have a place in family as well as social affairs. In the past women were segregated from out-of-home productive work. They were kept within the four walls. [...]

Industries minister Dilip Barua said the government will take necessary steps for capacity building of women entrepreneurs. “Steps will be taken to offer women entrepreneurs plots in Special Economic Zones and in BSCIC areas,” he assured. The minister said that the long-standing demand for modernising the Bangladesh Small and Cottage Industries Corporation (BSCIC) will also [...]

Azmal Hosen Mamun According to the World Health Organization (WTO), there are 7.5 million women with disabilities in Bangladesh. They often face great difficulty in accessing education, vocational training, employment and income-generating opportunities on an equal basis with others in our community. This is because of the discrimination they face on the basis of being [...]

A child learns the first educational lessons from his/her mother. None else can match the mother in this regard. An educated woman can do it better. Education enlightens an individual, a family, a society and ultimately an entire nation. A nation can be called educated when the entire population, both men and women, are educated. [...]

Women entrepreneurs of the country have hailed the budget for the fiscal year 2009-10 placed in the parliament Thursday for providing adequate incentives for the development of ‘women friendly business environment’. Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BWCCI) representative body of the women entrepreneurs in a press release welcomed the government move to allocate [...]

The government has undertaken a programme to impart vocational training to 10,000 women in the country for their empowerment and ensuring their participation in development of national economy, reports UNB. “Besides, the government’s initiative to encourage knowledge-based industrial programmes is reflected in the proposed budget for the current fiscal,” Industries Minister Dilip Barua said this [...]

THERE is no way to disagree with the need for technology. In several instances, the need for technology have been discussed but so far progress is not at all appreciable. NSAPR II, in its supporting strategy-V on enhancing productivity and efficiency through science and technology mentioned that the country will be made a poverty-free and [...]

Officials of cooperative bank have been urged to undertake fresh projects on food and social security, employment generation and women empowerment to help propel Bangladesh into a higher-growth pathway by 2021 as pledged by the Prime Minister. State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak made the appeal while addressing the 32nd annual general [...]

The Women Entrepreneur Association of Bangladesh (WEAB) Saturday organised a ‘domestic violence advisory roundtable’ at a city hotel. The discussion centred on best practices for using community involvement to prevent domestic violence. It also covered topics such as assessing the effectiveness of domestic violence prevention programmes. WEAB founder member Nasreen Awal welcomed the participants of [...]

India’s newly-elected parliament began its inaugural session Monday with lawmakers set to elect the country’s first ever woman speaker, who is also an “untouchable” Dalit. Veteran and first-time MPs, including 78 ministers of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s cabinet, were sworn in by an interim speaker at the start of the brief session that ends on [...]

Indian elections have always thrown up its share of curiosities. Take one that emerged in the searing summer of 1991, as the country prepared to face a general election. A certain Suman Lata constituted the Akhil Bharatiya Mahila Dal and promoted it as India’s “first and only women’s party”. She, rather courageously, expressed her intention [...]