DHAKA, 20 August 2020 (BSS)- Jatiya Sangsad Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury today said it’s important for Parliament to play the role of an effective observer in preventing gender-based violence and find innovative solutions to these problems through parliamentary practice.
“Legislation needs to be enacted to end all forms of harassment against women and children”, Shirin said, calling for a zero-tolerance policy to prevent all forms of repression and violence against women and children, said a release here.
Shirin also called for finding solutions to the problems that have arisen by exchanging knowledge through each other’s plans.
The JS speaker was attending the virtual inauguration program of the 5th World Speakers Conference.
Presenting a report on ‘Making Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls in Reality: Best Practices and Parliamentary Commitments’, the Speaker said that a significant number of girls worldwide are victims of child marriage.
The recent COVID-19 epidemic has accelerated and multiplied the gender-based and domestic violence against women.
It is important to coordinate global efforts and local experiences, as well as make coordinated efforts to address child marriage and violence immediately, she added.
She lauded Inter Parliamentary Union’s (IPU) important role in ending violence against women and children and child marriage and said that the conference is helping to find innovative solutions to the huge impact on the economic, social and political life of all the people of the world in the aftermath of the epidemic situation.
Kenyan Speaker Kenneth Lusaka and Rwandan Speaker Donatille Mukabalisa presented reports at the event, which was conducted by Claire Dulles.
IPU President Gabriela Chuevas Barron, Austrian National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres delivered introductory speeches.
On the occasion, members of Parliament-Aroma Dutta, Raushan Ara Mannan, Aparajita Haque, Rumana Ali and Pir Fazlur Rahman- also joined as members of the Bangladesh Parliamentary Delegation virtually from the oath-taking room of the Jatiya Sangsad Secretariat.