Ministries not addressing women's rights concerns

Bangladesh's women's rights activists have been waging movements for decades seeking a women-friendly law preventing rapes and a strict one dictating the minimum marriageable age, something which should have been ministries' concerns, said Ayesha Khanam yesterday.

Feminists have been repeating the same thing for almost 50 years and though the movements made some progress in women's representation in different sectors, equal rights and access to resources remain a far cry, she said.

The Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) president was addressing a press conference in the capital's Jatiya Press Club marking the conclusion of BMP's two day national conference.

Ayesha said the existing law stipulates that a female rape victim retain evidence to prove her point. "But the burden of proof should be on the accused. Even in neighbouring India, men accused of rape have to prove that they are not guilty," she said.

Gender Consultant Kazi Sufia Akhter Shelly said women's representation in politics and parliament has increased but was yet to reach one third of the total seats.

"As the seats were reserved for women and were awarded to selected persons, such representation would not make any impact on women's political empowerment," she said.

These reserved seats are endowed to women according to a party's preference without following any democratic norms, she said.

"The female members of the parliament have not been able to uphold their duties with dignity. They do not even bring up the issue of women's rights in parliament. That is why we have always been asking for more seats for women in parliament where they should be elected through voting," she stressed.

BMP General Secretary Maleka Banu was present.