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Women in Bangladesh have been proving their excellence with opportunities provided by the government in the economic, social, political, sports, and other sectors, Sheikh Hasina has said.
“Our women have planted the flag of Bangladesh even on top of Everest. Girls from humble backgrounds achieve gold medals in sports by proving their skills,” the prime minister said at an awards ceremony in Dhaka on International Women’s Day on Friday.
“They defeated India, and Nepal in football. They’re proving their excellence in all areas as we’re providing them with opportunities.”
Hasina said that becoming solvent is crucial for women and highlighted her government’s efforts to create employment opportunities for women at the ‘Shera Joyeeta Award-2023’ ceremony.
“It was us who decided to fill up 60 per cent of primary school teachers’ posts with women. That’s how we started. We opened community clinics across Bangladesh in 2001, which Khaleda Zia’s government shut down. Women used to work in those clinics,” she said.
The government sends the stipends directly to the mothers of primary school students via mobile phone banking, Hasina said, bdnews24.com reports.
“Sometimes, sending the money to their fathers may end up in extravagant spending like gambling or buying Hilsa fish. Mothers always prefer to have savings.”
At this point, the prime minister joked: “I don’t want to lose my vote bank by saying too much against men.”
She believes it is important to create opportunities for the development of women in the country.
“We have taken different measures for the benefit of women. Earlier, there was no place for women in our army, navy, air force, or even in the border guard force. We included women in all of the forces.
“The United Nations seeks more female officers these days because our women are performing their duties adroitly in the police, army, navy, and air force. You must provide the opportunities to women, so they can flourish.”
The prime minister recalled her mother Bangamata Fazilatunnessa Mujib’s contribution to the political struggle of her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
She highlighted Father of the Nation Sheikh Mujib’s impacts on the development of women enabling them to move forward in society.
“Bangabandhu honoured the women tortured in the Liberation War of 1971 by calling them Birangana. We acknowledge them as freedom fighters and can never forget their contribution.”