PM upholds advancement of women for country’s dev: Momen

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DHAKA, Oct 6, 2018 (BSS)- Bangladesh Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Masud Bin Momen has said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina put advancement of women at the heart of the country’s development endeavours.

He said this in the country’s statement at the Third committee’s discussion on ‘Advancement of Women’ under 73 UNGA at the UN Headquarters, on Friday, according to a press release issued here today.

“Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina followed her father’s vision and put advancement of women at the heart of our development endeavours,” Momen said.

The ambassador said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had sown the seed of gender parity having rightly identified.

“Bangabandhu identified without establishing equal rights of women we cannot have desired level of social upliftment” the ambassador said.

Highlighting the contributions of Sheikh Hasina as a world leader, Momen said she is one of the few world leaders who was present at the adoption of both the MDGs and the ‘2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development’, a unique example of successful and sustained woman leadership.

Masud said PM Sheikh Hasina received a number of awards over the years in recognition of her efforts in women empowerment, the latest was the Global Women’s Leadership Award from Global Summit of Women 2018 in Sydney, Australia.

In his statement, Momen echoed three actions for women advancement that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina suggested during the high-level week of 73rd UNGA.

“These are- overcoming gender stereotypes regarding women’s ability, enhancing women’s productivity and creating equal opportunities for women in all sectors with gender responsive policy intervention”, he added.

Mentioning that women advancement in Bangladesh is also a constitutional stipulation, Masud enumerated various measures taken by the present government to ensure the empowerment and wellbeing of women.

He said around 20 million women are employed in agriculture, service and industrial sectors. Women constitute 80 percent of 4.5 million workers engaged in the largest export earning garments sector, he added.

The Ambassador also mentioned several action plans for preventing violence against women and children; ending child marriage; combating human trafficking which were adopted and implemented by the Sheikh Hasina Government.

“We are also mindful of bringing the marginalized and vulnerable section of womenfolk under social safety net programmes so that no one is left behind,” Momen said.

The ambassador also highlighted some success stories of the women in Bangladesh.