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 [...]

HE link between vanishing coconut groves and shrinking fish catches or the disappearance of rainbow-winged dragonflies and declining harvests may appear tenuous, improbable, even a flight of fantasy. But these are observations from the ground and help us piece together that elemental jigsaw called climate change.
As climate scientists do their maths to defend their positions [...]

IS the global media completely oblivious to the gendered semantics of the recent Bangladeshi political events? News article after news article, from one country’s press to the other, is repeating titles such as “battling begums,” “feuding begums,” and “battered begums.” For brevity, I will keep this list short. But start with the Economist articles such [...]

Progress in political representation of women in the country has improved in terms of quantity, but there are still challenges to maintain the trend, said speakers at a dialogue on Tuesday.
They said quality women representation is yet to be ensured as they hardly get their voices heard and get proper places at work because of [...]

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 [...]

Speakers at a conference yesterday said women’s participation in politics is hindered severely due to violence, which should be checked immediately to ensure women’s political empowerment. The women’s political empowerment is hindered due to state, social and community terrorism, demonstration of muscle power, religious propaganda against women’s leadership and patriarchal social structure, they added. They [...]

Highest 18 women have won 22 parliamentary seats in Monday’s battle of ballots, meaning the new parliament will have the highest number of at least 63 female lawmakers, including 45 to be elected to reserve seats, in the history of Bangladesh. The fortunate female MP-elects have defeated their male counterparts in the landmark ballots for [...]

Dr. Dipu Moni, Foreign Minister of 4-month old Mahajote Government, has so far visited seven countries since new govt came to power. She is scheduled to visit four more countries this month. Her upcoming visit to Myanmar scheduled on May 15 is only bilateral. Others are multilateral and related to attending international conferences and seminars. [...]

Then glance at the other headlines, such as AFP: Bangladesh government wants feuding “begums” to meet (September 15), Arab News: Dhaka seeks talks between “Battling Begums (September 14), The Daily Times: Battling Begums (September 11), Bangladesh’s “Battling Begums” rule the roost again, Reuters India (September 25), The Australian: Close Up- Battle of the Begums (April [...]

The most obvious demonstration of change in the last election was the number of women candidates elected to the parliament. The Prime Minister pleasantly surprised us further when she gave important ministries to four of the elected women MPs. The fact that Sheikh Hasina nominated so many women to run for the election and then [...]

Women participated extensively in anti-British agitations during the 1930s and 1940s and were an active force during the independence struggle. Since 1972 the Constitution and the legal system have guaranteed equal [...]

Women lawmakers yesterday vowed to work towards ensuring women’s empowerment and to be vocal on women’s rights issues in parliament.
At a reception ceremony organised by Manusher Jonno Foundation, the women MPs who are elected for the first time shared their experiences, struggle, electioneering and their priorities.
“I will work for the development of [...]

Highest 18 women have won 22 parliamentary seats in Monday’s battle of ballots, meaning the new parliament will have the highest number of at least 63 female lawmakers, including 45 to be elected to reserve seats, in the history of Bangladesh.
The fortunate female MP-elects have defeated their male counterparts in the landmark ballots for the [...]

Chief Adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed yesterday said strict application of law is equally essential as change of mindset, values and morality is necessary to check repression on women.
The head of the caretaker government made the remark at a function organised by the Women and Children Affairs Ministry at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium for distributing Begum Rokeya [...]

For the first time in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), an indigenous woman is contesting from Rangamati constituency in the upcoming parliamentary election.
Moitree Chakma, wife of Retired district joint judge Dipen Dewan, is in the polls race as an independent candidate.
She, along with her husband, submitted her nomination paper on the last day set for this [...]