Dare to dream big

4 female envoys tell Bangladesh young women

Bangladesh’s four friends—the USA, Denmark, Brazil and the Netherlands - have joined hands to inspire Bangladeshi young women ‘dream big’ and help develop leadership qualities among them to lead the country in the coming days, reports UNB. Through their unique joint initiative - ‘Shadow Ambassador Initiative’ - the four women ambassadors with their four shadow ambassadors inspired all the young women across the country to pursue their dreams and ambitions.
US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat, Danish Ambassador Hanne Fugl Eskjær, Brazilian Ambassador Wanja Campos Da Nobrega and Dutch Ambassador Leoni Cuelenaere held a joint press conference on the initiative to promote young women’s leadership at the American Club on Sunday.
Responding to a question, Dutch Ambassador Leoni Cuelenaere said the perpetrators of all gender-based violence must be ‘prosecuted’. She made the remark when sought comment on violence against women on Pahela Baishakh last year and recent murder of Sohagi Jahan Tonu near Comilla Cantonment area. Supplementing with her Dutch colleague, US Ambassador Bernicat laid emphasis on ‘sensitising’ people—both men and women—to put an end to gender-based violence. “We look forward to finding more ways to cooperate and collaborate for the betterment of women and girls in this great country,” she said.
Inspiring young women, the Dutch Ambassador said, “If your dreams don’ t scare you - they’re not big enough. We shouldn’t let our fears, or the barriers we face, dictate the course of our lives.”
Danish Ambassador Fugl Eskjær who came up with this ‘marvelous and worthwhile’ idea first, said the initiative has given four bright young minds in Bangladesh some real life practical experiences. It will help build a bridge between their inspirations and achievements, she said adding, “My advice to them would be - believe in yourself and your abilities to make a positive difference in your private, local, national and international surroundings.”
Brazilian Ambassador Wanja Campos said women empowerment starts with the education.
She also said the shadow ambassador initiative has demonstrated that there is an internationally coordinated effort to enhance women empowerment.
The ambassadors termed the initiative a fantastic opportunity for talented Bangladeshi women to experience the daily activities of a diplomat.
The four shadow ambassadors—Mehzabin Khan Elma (Brazil), Talbia Tanvir (Denmark), Zaiba Tahya (Netherlands) and Tasneem Kibria Opra (USA) --shared their experiences being ‘shadow ambassadors’ and their desire to inspire other young women in Bangladesh in taking leadership role.
The initiative paired each Ambassador with a young Bangladeshi woman who was selected to ‘shadow’ the respective Chief of Mission for a day to learn about pathways to leadership and the value of choosing a career of service.

Dare to dream big

4 female envoys tell Bangladesh young women

Bangladeshs four friendsthe USA, Denmark, Brazil and the Netherlands - have joined hands to inspire Bangladeshi young women dream big and help develop leadership qualities among them to lead the country in the coming days, reports UNB. Through their unique joint initiative - Shadow Ambassador Initiative - the four women ambassadors with their four shadow ambassadors inspired all the young women across the country to pursue their dreams and ambitions. US Ambassador Marcia Bernicat, Danish Ambassador Hanne Fugl Eskjr, Brazilian Ambassador Wanja Campos Da Nobrega and Dutch Ambassador Leoni Cuelenaere held a joint press conference on the initiative to promote young womens leadership at the American Club on Sunday. Responding to a question, Dutch Ambassador Leoni Cuelenaere said the perpetrators of all gender-based violence must be prosecuted. She made the remark when sought comment on violence against women on Pahela Baishakh last year and recent murder of Sohagi Jahan Tonu near Comilla Cantonment area. Supplementing with her Dutch colleague, US Ambassador Bernicat laid emphasis on sensitising peopleboth men and womento put an end to gender-based violence. We look forward to finding more ways to cooperate and collaborate for the betterment of women and girls in this great country, she said. Inspiring young women, the Dutch Ambassador said, If your dreams don t scare you - theyre not big enough. We shouldnt let our fears, or the barriers we face, dictate the course of our lives. Danish Ambassador Fugl Eskjr who came up with this marvelous and worthwhile idea first, said the initiative has given four bright young minds in Bangladesh some real life practical experiences. It will help build a bridge between their inspirations and achievements, she said adding, My advice to them would be - believe in yourself and your abilities to make a positive difference in your private, local, national and international surroundings. Brazilian Ambassador Wanja Campos said women empowerment starts with the education. She also said the shadow ambassador initiative has demonstrated that there is an internationally coordinated effort to enhance women empowerment. The ambassadors termed the initiative a fantastic opportunity for talented Bangladeshi women to experience the daily activities of a diplomat. The four shadow ambassadorsMehzabin Khan Elma (Brazil), Talbia Tanvir (Denmark), Zaiba Tahya (Netherlands) and Tasneem Kibria Opra (USA) --shared their experiences being shadow ambassadors and their desire to inspire other young women in Bangladesh in taking leadership role. The initiative paired each Ambassador with a young Bangladeshi woman who was selected to shadow the respective Chief of Mission for a day to learn about pathways to leadership and the value of choosing a career of service.