Women need to be in decision-making roles - Shaela Sharmin

Gender equality is way off in the creative arts, believes Shaela Sharmin, an eminent painter and theatre personality in the port city.

Sharmin, a teacher of Institute of Fine Arts of Chittagong University (CU) by profession, has been working as a theatre activist of the country's renowned theatre troupe Tirjak Natya Dal for 23 years.

"As our society is strongly patriarchal, it is very difficult for a woman to participate in creative fields on par with a man, even in the fine arts,” she told The Daily Star.

The artist, however, firmly believes that the new generation of women have the ability to change this scenario. “Usually, a woman faces many obstacles in her everyday life. A woman working in fine arts has to face more difficulties,” opined Sharmin.

Referring to eminent sculptor Novera Ahmed, she said, “Novera was a pioneer artist in her time. But her artistic freedom was curtailed. Similar restrictions are being imposed on women in general as women are seen to have a secondary position in society.”“In terms of creativity, women are not lagging behind men,” said Sharmin.

“I think what is important is that women develop the ability to take decisions,” said Sharmin. “If women can play a role in decision making, it is easy to change the present scenario,” she added.

“I always tell my students to be a human first then a man or woman. When a person achieves the characteristics of a true human then the distinction between a man and a woman disappears,” said the artist.