Change in mindset stressed for womens development
UNB
Speakers at a programme yesterday stressed the need for changing mindset among people to break barriers of women in workplace and help them to move forward, reports UNB. The discussion titled Women in the Workplace: Breaking Barriers and Moving Forward was organised by Career Solutions at a hotel, aiming to share success stories and experiences of women with the participants of the program.
Six successful women from six different professions joined the progamme as panelists to talk about the problems women face in both their personal and professional lives and the hurdles while going up of the ladder. The speakers were- Zarin Chowdhury, head of Business of Munshi HR Solutions, Afreen Zaman Khan, lecturer of Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB), Gulsetyne Ahmed, a co-pilot of Regent Airways and a news presenter of Bangladesh Television, Khadija Rehma, general manager (Communication) of Sajida Foundation, Mansura Oishi from BRAC organisation and Samiha Chowdhury from Standard Chartered Bank.
At entry level of a job, 47 to 53 percent are female, but at the top level, the ratio goes down to seven percent, said Zarin Chowdhury the chief speaker of the programme.
And this is not because of lack of skills among women, but because of social barriers and working place barriers, she added.
Afreen Zaman Khan said lot of things is there to talk about the problems women face in their workplace but they dont get much place to do so. Such seminars will give them the platform to talk about and share their experiences, she said. The program, divided into two sessions, aimed at identifying the problems and their solutions. In the first session, the six panelists came up with the general challenges women face in their own homes and workplaces while starting their career.
Women have to face the barriers in their everyday life from indecent jokes to lack of hygiene facilities like separate washrooms at the workplace.
Gulsetyne Ahmed shared her experience of working in both male oriented profession and female oriented profession and said many women in our society are not ready to go beyond the system.
We have the tendency to take the easy route, she added, saying that We have to break internal barriers we have in us.
In the second session, while discussing about the solutions, Khadija Rehma said, to go up the ladder skill is must. Women have to support the other women around them to move forward.
Its not only enough to think about equality, you have to believe it. And its not enough to believe it, you have to practice it, said Zarin Chowdhury. There are organisations led by women in our country, and these need to be brought into the limelight to encourage others, said Khadija Rehma.
The objective of the seminar was to promote successful women in the male dominant culture and set them as the role models for other women, said Israful Hoque, Career Consultant Director of Career Solutions.
Faria Ahmed, the Founder of Career Solutions said, This is the first time were organizing such a seminar but we intend to do this every year.
