CU Correspondent

The speakers at a workshop on Monday in the Chittagong city called on the women public representatives to work with the masses to end gender discrimination.

The divisional workshop titled ‘important gender equality issues’ was organised by non-governmental organisation Young Power in Social Action at the district council auditorium in the morning.

‘Our society lacks the values that treat women with respect. For that we first need to learn the values that men and women have the equal rights in the society,’ said Ehsan Elahi, additional district commissioner (combined) in his address as the chief guest.

Naznin Pappu, coordinator of gender and governance of SMILING, an associate NGO of YPSA, presented the keynote paper containing a summary of the women’s present situation in the country.

Informing that around 69 per cent of the country’s education budget is spent on the male children against the rest 31 per cent on the females, the keynote paper called the government to immediately address the existing disparities in the education sector.

Also as a signatory to the 1979 Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women, Bangladesh needs to be much more responsive to women’s causes, the paper said.

The speakers also urged the government to fully ratify the CEDAW. 

Khaleda Begum, coordinator of YPSA city branch, moderated the programme, attended by district administration officials, social workers and NGO staff.