ZCZC
BSS-11
PM-WOMEN-DAY- 2 LAST DHAKA
The premier also stressed the need for working together of men and women
saying, “Half of the population of our country is women. So we cannot prosper
keeping this population behind.”
Nowadays, women become successful everywhere including state management,
administrating parliament, top positions in police, judiciary, military
force, health, engineering, business even flying planes due to government’s
pragmatic and timely measures, she rejoiced.
Highlighting her government’s initiatives to include womenfolk in the
mainstream of the country’s development, the premier said, “The government
framed the ‘National Women Development Policy-2011’ and adopted the ‘National
Action Plan-2013’ for implementation of the policy.”
“We’ve increased maternity leave from 3 months to 6 months with salary and
introduced the provision to keep mother’s name along with father’s name in
every aspect,” she said, adding that gender budget of Taka 1,37,742 crore has
been allocated in 2018-2019 fiscal.
Describing financial solvency as a key for women empowerment, she said, the
Awami League government made sixty percent posts of primary school teachers
mandatory reserved for women aimed at making them economically solvent.
As the women can do their jobs without any hindrance, the premier said “We
are mulling of setting up hostels for working women at district and upazila
levels alongside building daycare centre for taking care of their babies”.
“We have already set up eight women hostels having capacity of
accommodating 19,929 working women and 94 daycare centres with facilities of
giving necessary services to 36,183 children of working mothers,” she
continued.
The government has established a foundation namely ‘Joyeeta’ to promote
women in businesses and entrepreneurship, she said.
Sheikh Hasina mentioned social awareness is necessary to stop disparity and
violence against women with enacting laws.
She said, “The government has enacted necessary laws with a view to
protecting the women and children from all types of violence. But, the laws
only cannot stop the menace. Social awareness is needed in this regard.”
She, however, referred to the laws including ‘Women and Children
Repression Prevention Act- 2000’, ‘Women & Children Repression Prevention
Act-2003(Amended)’, the ‘Mobile Court Act-2009’ ‘Child Marriage Restraint
Act-2017’, Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act 2010, ‘DNA Act-
2014’ and ‘Dowry Restraint Act-2018’in this perspective.
A toll free national helpline 109 has also been introduced to prevent
women and children abuse, she informed.
“In order to prevent domestic violence against women, 67 one-stop-crisis
centers alongside establishment of women abuse resistance cells and women
assistance programs in 6 divisions have been introduced to ensure quick
justice to victim women,” she also said.
About 4,883 adolescent clubs has been formed across the country for
positive changes in the lifestyle of teenage girls and boys, she noted.
Regarding women success in sports, the premier said, “Our girls didn’t lag
behind in sports either. Our girls became undefeated champions in Jockey-club
girls’ international tournament, Hong Kong’s in 2018”.
She also said the national women team qualified for the ICC World T20
cricket in 2020 while Bangladesh women football team also qualified for the
‘FIFA under-17’ which will be held in Thailand in September 2019.
Earlier, the prime minister handed over “Joyeeta Sammanana” to five women
for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.
The recipients are Parul Akhter, Anamika Thakur Shilpi, Begum Razia
Mahmud, Hasna Begum, and Shakera Begum Banu.
BSS/AHJ/GMR/1512 hrs