Establish their rights
Photo: Munem Wasif / Driknews
I would like to congratulate through DS Jananetri PM Sheikh Hasina for wisely taking the responsibility of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs ( supposed to be responsible for the development of 66% of the population of Bangladesh-- women and children). Expectations are high that Sheikh Hasina's leadership in the Women and Children Affairs Ministry will be good for women and children. In supporting her bid, most of the women's organisations' leaders and women of rural and urban Bangladesh pointed to the pro-women's rights record of Sheikh Hasina; she announced the first ever Development Policy for women in 1997, which subsequently was redesigned by the anti-women BNP-Jamat government. Sheikh Hasina sponsored a law that led to legislation which ensures emergency medical services for rape survivors, and she was also behind legislation protecting women's rights to equal pay for equal work. During her election campaign, Hasina promised to continue to protect women against pay discrimination, to promote awareness of breast and cervical cancers, to increase financial support for victims of gender violence, and to provide more support to working mothers in the form of increased funding for day care facilities and guaranteeing paid sick leave etc. The appointment of three other key women ministers gave women of Bangladesh and around the world another reason for optimism. A long time ally of feminists, Hasina confirmed her commitment to women's rights during announcing the manifesto of the AL. Now PM Sheikh Hasina has a window of opportunities and this is the time to intensify efforts as majority people have given her a blank check to fulfil people's hopes for 'gender equality'.
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