State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira has said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has recently launched a visionary campaign called ‘Smart Bangladesh’ which targets to bring equality in women’s participation in ICT to support the transition of Bangladesh to a developed country by 2041.

She told this while speaking at the general debate of the ongoing 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations Headquarters on March 9, said the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN.

 she shared that the Government of Bangladesh under the visionary leadership of Sheikh Hasina has taken up several signature initiatives to empower women, such as the establishment of 5000 digital centres at the grassroots level; establishment of science and technology universities in major districts; technical and vocational institutes across the country; introduction of the women-led agent network ‘SATHI’ to facilitate digital financial services for marginalised women; etc.

These projects have helped Bangladesh make remarkable progress towards the economic and political empowerment of women.

The State Minister further added that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had been accorded the Global Women’s Leadership Award, Planet 50-50 Champion and Agent of Change Award for her outstanding contribution to the empowerment of women in Bangladesh.

Underscoring the need to identify the key barriers to technological innovation and education to achieve gender equality and women empowerment, Fazilatun Nessa urged for enhanced capacity building and technology transfer to bridge the gender digital divide.

She also called for greater international cooperation to ensure gender equality in the field of ICT.