ZCZC
BSS-43
INT’L-WOMEN-DAY
Int’l Women’s Day tomorrow
DHAKA, March 7, 2019 (BSS) – The International Women’s Day will be observed tomorrow across the country as elsewhere in the globe with a call for building a gender-equal world.
The Ministry for Women and Children Affairs has chalked out elaborate programmes on the occasion to create mass awareness to ensure dignified life for womenfolk through establishing their rights.
On the eve of the day, President Md Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina issued separate messages, greeting all women across the world.
In their messages, they termed the day’s theme ‘Projonmo Hok Somotar, Sokol Narir Odhikar’ as time befitting in the current perspective and wished success of all programmes of the day.
In his message, President M Abdul Hamid said the present government is implementing massive programmes, including establishing women rights, spreading education for them and empowering women, to bring gender parity.
The womenfolk are keeping their footprints in all sectors, including politics, trade and business and job, without any restriction now, the president said.
“It is possible to change the overall scenario of the country by ensuring equal participation of women at all levels of the national development, which would help attain Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” he added.
In her message, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the Awami League government has been implementing various programmes for the last 11 years attaching priority to women empowerment and development.
Referring to different laws and policies, including National Women Development Policy-2011, Women and Children Repression Prevention Act 2000, National Plan of Action to Prevent Violence Against Women and Children 2013-2025, Dowry Prohibition Act-2018, Child Marriage Restraint Act-2017 and DNA Act-2014 for protecting women rights, the premier said, “We are working relentlessly to eliminate all kinds of discriminatory behaviors and practices to women and prevent violence against them.”
MORE/PR/SRH/MRU/2028hrs
ZCZC
BSS-46
INT’L-WOMEN-DAY-TWO LAST
The government, she said, has also introduced maternity allowance, allowance for lactating mothers and allowances for widows-divorced, poor disabled and repressed women and maternity leave has been extended to six months with salary to ensure social security for women.
The women are now playing a vital role in different areas, including politics, judiciary, administration, education, health, armed forces and law enforcing agencies due to the time befitting and pragmatic measures of the government, Sheikh Hasina added.
Bangladesh Television, Bangladesh Betar and all other private television channels will air special programme while newspapers will publish supplements highlighting the significance of the day.
International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. It is a focal point in the movement for women’s rights.
After the Socialist Party of America organised a Women’s Day on February 28, 1909 in New York, the 1910 International Socialist Woman’s Conference suggested a Women’s Day be held annually.
After women gained suffrage in Soviet Russia in 1917, March 8 became a national holiday there. The day was then predominantly celebrated by the socialist movement and communist countries until it was adopted in 1975 by the United Nations.
BSS/PR/SRH/MRU/2028hrs