Karachi, 08 March 2024:

Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Karachi, arranged a Briefing Session on “Women Empowerment: A Success Story of Bangladesh” as an image building and branding Bangladesh program at the Conference Hall of the Chancery 08 March 2024.

Around 50 persons attended at the “Women Empowerment: A Success Story of Bangladesh:” briefing Session arranged by Bangladesh Deputy High Commission in Karachi on the International Women’s Day 2024.

Deputy High Commissioner S. M. Mahbubul Alam, in his speech briefed that in Bangladesh women have significant participation and immense contribution in economy, politics, culture, judiciary, medical professions, administration, diplomacy, armed forces, law enforcing agencies, academic institutions including schools, colleges, and university, research and technology, and many other areas in national and international levels.

Deputy High Commissioner categorically mentioned that Bangladesh has achieved almost 100% primary enrollment and therefore all the children including the girls has easy access to education. Currently the overall literacy rate in Bangladesh is around 80% and rate for women literacy has been encouragingly increasing in the recent years. He mentioned that around 400 million copies free text books are being distributed every year since 2010 among students up to grade ten. Over 15 million scholarships are provided by the government to the financially weak families, which also have been tremendously encouraging and contributing in the overall increasing of primary enrollment and decreasing of dropouts. He further mentioned that millions of women are being graduating from universities and colleges, the number of which was extremely low in 1971. Around 5,000 female doctors are be graduating every year.  Women have been enjoying equal rights in the society. Education is key to social awareness and empowerment of women with full access to all rights. Education has been enlightening the society in Bangladesh, which is a secular, democratic, peace-loving and all- inclusive country.

Education is the eye opener to access to all human and women rights, which Bangladesh does immensely value. Being at the helm of a fully devastated and war-ravaged country, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman made all the primary education free just after the independence of Bangladesh in 1971. Deputy High Commission mentioned that the literacy rate in Bangladesh was only 18% in 1971 and that was only below 50% even in 2002, which is currently around 80%. In 1971 Bangladesh had only five universities and six medical colleges, the numbers of which are now 180 and 112 respectively. Following the footprint of the Father of the Nation of Bangladesh, present Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina has been striving had to make Bangladesh a 100% literate, knowledge-based, digitally skilled, developed and smart country where women will have same rights and same contribution as the men in the society.

Deputy High Commissioner further mentioned that in Bangladesh the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) contributes to over 25% of National GDP and around 10 million women are entrepreneurs or contributing in SME. He further added that directly or indirectly women are earning livelihood to around 35 million people of the country. According to ILO, women are involved in over 40% of SMEs in Bangladesh. In Bangladesh the women are now proud entrepreneurs. Women, even in the remote rural areas, are now earning and contributing in their families, which ultimately empowering them in the family and in the society. They contribute more in the decision making-process and in implementing their decisions in the family and the beyond. Women are now the commendable achievers in all the strata of the society. Government of Bangladesh has been working with long term policies for the development of women by ensuring smooth access to finance, access to markets, access to infrastructure and technology, access to adequate education and training, access to job markets, access to law and legal protection, and by eliminating gender discrimination and income parity in the country.   

Deputy High Commissioner, as for example, mentioned that in the Public Sector in Bangladesh there are over 15 lac 55 thousands jobs and among them a total of 4 lac and five thousands are women which constitutes around 30% of total public servants in Bangladesh but this figure was extremely dire in 1971. Around 80% employees in the garment factories in Bangladesh are women.  Again, Bangladesh is the 2^nd largest exporter of RMG in the world, and RMG sector is the highest foreign currency earner in Bangladesh, which indicate the contribution of women in Bangladesh’s economy. Bangladesh women peacekeepers from armed forces and from police have been playing an outstanding role in the UNKPO across the globe. Hundreds of thousands of Bangladesh women have been contributing in all most all the countries across the world as doctors, engineers, pharmacists, professors, nurses, and in other service sectors with reputation.

Deputy High Commissioner further mentioned that women in Bangladesh are also tremendously contributing in sports. He cited that Bangladesh National Women Football Team became Champion in the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Women's Championship 2022. He further mentioned that Bangladesh also became Champion in the SAFF Under-20 Women’s Championship 2023 on 11 February 2023. Bangladesh is the Champion of the Asia Cup Women Cricket Tournament 2018. The policy of present government has been contributing immensely in developing sports with vibrant presence and encouraging achievements of women.

Deputy High Commissioner further briefed that Bangladesh is a symbol of humanity and equality. Bangladesh is a role model for development and positive change and this has been possible because of the awareness and participation of women and women empowerment. Women have always played a significant role in building the nation. Women are the co-partner of Bangladesh’s development journey. Bangladesh women stand at the top of South Asia in terms of health, education, employment and empowerment, which is recognized globally.

Deputy High Commissioner further briefed that Bangladesh has won the UNESCO Champion of the Earth Prize, Peace Tree Award, UN MDG Award, South-South Award, Agent of Change Award, Planet 50-50 Award etc. and these recognizes the success of Bangladesh. Bangladesh is one of the top 10 countries in the world in terms of women empowerment. He added that according to WEF, Bangladesh is ranked the 7^th in the world in terms of political empowerment of women.

Deputy High Commissioner mentioned that Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh has given shelter to over 1.1 million forcibly displaced Rohingya people from Myanmar and she is now the ‘Mother of Humanity’. Her philosophy of peace and humanitarian activities has set examples to the world. She is the torchbearer of women empowerment in Bangladesh. Her wise and prudent leadership significantly been contributing the development of women in Bangladesh. Bangladesh has been marching ahead and women are advancing accordingly. Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been following the principle and policy of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, who had the dream for poverty-free, illiteracy-free, deprivation and oppression-free, inclusive, knowledge-based, happy, prosperous and developed Bangladesh –the ‘Golden Bangla’. The Women of Bangladesh are an integral part of the development journey of Bangladesh.