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 Chittagong based non-governmental organisation PHREB (Promoting Human Rights and Education in Bangladesh) has been running long-term school-based awareness campaigns since their establishment in 2004. The purpose of these campaigns is to educate young people on human rights issues and encourage them to speak out and defend their own human rights. These young people will [...]

MUNNU Begum, in her mid-30s, wants her children to achieve what she herself could not. Munnu’s eyes fill with tears of joy when she sees her kids going to school every morning with school bags on their shoulders.
“Education is very important. I couldn’t have it. Had I been able to continue my education, things would [...]

Television has become a major tool for showing women in stereotypical roles.  Imagine a day with no newspaper, no television, not one billboard looming over you no matter where you may be. It’s that difficult to get away from the media. Be it the news, your favourite drama serial, a movie with a friend or [...]

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 meeting [...]

Farmers in Khulna and Bagerhat districts are now firm to resist saline water-based shrimp cultivation while women workers in shrimp processing plants in the districts have vowed to stop exploitation by the owners by depriving them of due wages and facility. Several thousands farmers of Khulna and Bagerhat districts recently staged protests against saline water [...]

The traditional norm of women staying inside the house and men providing them protection has been changing as a result of economic and demographic developments. Recent trends show that women are increasingly taking up new challenges in the market economy. Female labour force participation has increased significantly since the late eighties, both in the traditional [...]

Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI) held its annual general meeting (AGM) in the city Saturday. BWCCI President Selima Ahmad presided over the meeting attended by its members from across the country. Selima Ahmad said the organisation has been working as a vibrant platform for women’s economic empowerment and development since its inception [...]

Women in the workplace were most-talked-about when PepsiCo named Indra Nooyi as the chief executive officer (CEO) to succeed Steve Reinemund, putting her among the leading women in corporate America. Indian-born Nooyi, who was ranked “No. 11″ in Fortune’s list of the most powerful women in business, joined the company in 1994 and was named [...]

National trade unions, human rights and women rights organisations, workers and labour rights organisations should come forward for the implementation of the ‘common minimum demand’ for all working women without making any difference of their workplace, occupation and designation, said a press release.
Speakers said this at a discussion meeting aiming to observe International Women’s Day [...]

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) leaders urged the government to implement the Women Development Policy of 1997 as soon as possible to ensure gender equality politically, socially and economically for establishing the rule of law in the society.A 10member delegation lead by BMP President Ayesha Khanam and General Secretary Maleka Banu made [...]

THE recent report “Whispers to Voices” highlighted the substantial gains in women’s status in Bangladesh over the last few decades. School enrolment of girls now exceeds that of boys’, infant mortality has fallen, gender differences in survival of children have narrowed, fertility has declined dramatically, and women are now more visible in public spaces than [...]

MOST functionaries of the important microfinance institutions (MFI) of the world come to Bangladesh for learning ASA’s micro finance model because it is cost-effective and very simple. Accordingly, a 15-member Filipino MFI team came to Bangladesh to visit ASA’s programme recently. The name of their organisation is Bank-CARD, Philippines. After theoretical session at the ASA [...]

Latifa Begum looked confident with a seemingly ever-lasting smile on her face when she was frisking well-dressed and beauty-conscious women with an intelligent electronic device at the entrance to a plush beauty salon in the capital.
The invariant smile bears the testimony to the professionalism of the 32-year-old security guard who was abandoned by her husband [...]

MICROLOANS were invented to help the poorest of the poor help themselves. Now major banks and pension funds are getting into the business, as they discover that the interest paid by the poor can produce high returns. Is it aid or exploitation?
Muhammad Yunus is the banker of the poor. He took a risk and transformed [...]