Women’s participation rising across parliament, all sectors: Speaker

Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad Hafiz Uddin Ahmad said on Wednesday that women’s participation in the Jatiya Sangsad as well as across different sectors of the country has increased significantly compared to the past.

He made the remarks when a delegation of UN Women Bangladesh, led by its Representative Gitanjali Singh, made a courtesy call on him at his office in the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban.

During the meeting, the Speaker said the growing representation of women in parliament reflects a broader trend of increasing participation of women in political parties and all sectors of national life.

He highlighted the invaluable contribution of women to Bangladesh’s development, particularly in the garment industry and other key sectors.

The Speaker noted that 49 of the 50 women members nominated to reserved seats in the current parliament have already joined the ongoing budget session. Women parliamentarians from diverse professional backgrounds, including medicine, economics, engineering and law, are now contributing to legislative activities, said a press release.

Referring to the government’s commitment to protecting women and children, the Speaker said the administration treats any form of violence against them with utmost seriousness. In this regard, he cited the recent example of the trial in the widely discussed Ramisa murder case being completed within one month.

The Speaker also outlined various government initiatives aimed at empowering women from underprivileged families, including the distribution of Family Cards among housewives and Farmer Cards for eligible beneficiaries.

He expressed hope that such development programmes would further strengthen women’s empowerment and economic inclusion.

UN Women Bangladesh Representative Gitanjali Singh informed the Speaker that Bangladesh is ahead of many countries in South Asia in key indicators such as the protection of women’s rights, gender equality, women’s empowerment, prevention of violence against women and children, access to justice for women and children, increased participation of women in political and economic spheres, and inclusive democracy.

Among others, Secretary of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat Barrister Md Golam Sarwar Bhuiyan and UN Women Bangladesh Deputy Country Representative Nabanita Sinha were present at the meeting.