The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Politicians, women leaders and development experts at a workshop said the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) needs to make recommendations on intermediate actions to be taken in improving women's political awareness and quality of participation particularly at the Parliament level.

In the PRSP, there should have been the inclusion of analysis of the issues related to the women's political participation, they said.

The inclusion of 33 per cent of women in decision-making level of political parties should be made compulsory, as proposed by the Election Commission (EC) and demanded by the women's movement, they urged the Caretaker Government (CG).

They also urged the Government to ensure 33 per cent of women at decision-making level of the government bureaucracy, judiciary, NGO's and private sector.

Within a comprehensive, value-based and sustainable social and economic development framework, gender-based discrimination has to be eliminated from the society, they said.

They urged the CG to increase the number of reserve seats in the Parliament up to at least 33 per cent and direct election to those seats and increase women's share up to 33 per cent in the Ministry.

This was urged at the workshop on 'Women Political Empowerment In the Light of PRSP' at CIRDAP Auditorium in the city yesterday organised by Prip Trust with support from Oxfam GB.

Awami League leader Matia Chowdhury, CPB leader Mujahidul Islam Selim, Prof Khaleda Khanam, JSD leader Hasanul Haq Inu, Country Director of Actionaid Farah Kabir, Editor of daily Sangbad Monjurul Ahsan Bulbul, Chairperson of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Ayesha Khanam, Prof Mahfuza Khanam, Executive Director of Prip Trust Aroma Dutta, among others, spoke, while Executive Director of BNPS Rokeya Kabir, presented keynote paper at the workshop.

Matia Chowdhury said, "The recent activities on the city streets centring women development policy had the silent support of the government. If democracy is not established in the society, women empowerment cannot be possible."

Hasanul Haq Inu said, "We are moving between the rule of partial democracy and autocratic government. Lack of reformation of infrastructure is the main weakness of the PRSP."