All the government and non-government organisations concerned should work together for empowering the elected women public representatives in reserved seats in the local government institutions to free the society from violence against women, speakers at an advocacy dialogue observed yesterday, reports BSS from Rajshahi. Besides, they mentioned that the women representatives should build necessary capacity of strengthening their decision-making capacities with their own efforts as they have a vital role in eliminating all sorts of discrimination and violence against womenfolk. Prip Trust under its project titled ‘Aparajita: Political Empowerment of Women’ organised the dialogue at Public Library auditorium in Chapainawabganj district town in association with Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.
Main thrust of the programme was to build confidence, knowledge and capacity of women representatives and encourage network of mutual support so that they can fulfill their obligations to their community people.
Union Parishad chairmen Tasiqul Islam, Durul Huda, Mukhlesur Rahman and Tariqul Islam, central committee president of Municipality Association of Bangladesh Sharifa Khatun, UP Secretary Menuar Jahan and Prip Trust Regional Manager Saiduzzaman Sipon addressed the discussion as focal persons. President of District Women Development Forum Nasrin Aktar chaired the session.
During her concept paper presentation, Shirin Aktar, general secretary of Sadar Upazila committee of Women Development Forum, put forward a set of recommendations on how to build working capacity of the women representatives.
She said the women representatives should be aware of policy and politics particularly in the area of governance so that they can contribute to making local government and local service provision more responsive especially to the needs of women.
Importance should be given to strengthening decision-making capacities among them for eliminating all sorts of discrimination against women by empowering them with the ability of equal partners in development.