ZCZC
JS-55
BUDGET-WOMEN-DEVELOPMENT
Taka 1,61, 247 cr for women dev in budget
SANGSAD BHABAN, June 13, 2019 (BSS) – Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal today proposed an allocation of Taka 1,61, 247 crore for women development in the national budget for 2019-20 fiscal which is 30.82 percent of total budget and 5.56 percent of GDP.
The allocation for women development in the last fiscal year was Tk 1,37,742 crore which indicates on an average annual allocation has increased by 22 percent.
Among the ministries and divisions, a large part of the total budget on women’s development is spent by the ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ministry of Primary and Mass Education, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief, Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and Cooperatives Division.
The finance minister in his budget speech said Bangladesh is rapidly progressing in terms women’s involvement in political empowerment, education and economic affairs.
“In accordance with Articles 19, 27, 28 and 29 of the Constitution, we are committed to establish equal rights and dignity of women and men, and ensure participation of women in all spheres of national lives,” he said.
The minister said Bangladesh has secured the top position in South Asia in reducing gender disparity. The country is very much ahead in reducing gender disparity in the Muslim world, and even among the developed countries such as the United States and China, he added.
He said the government has taken appropriate programmes to ensure education, health, employment, and women empowerment.
Kamal said at the same time, the government will strengthen programmes to mitigate and prevent violence against women and also undertake effective measures to create a gender-friendly environment in all spheres of lives.
BSS/Asg/MKD/KU/1952 HRS