Women and Children Affairs Ministry and UN Women Bangladesh hold 'Multistakeholder Consultation on Beijing+30'

Leaders from civil society, women-led and grassroots organisations, and government ministries gathered today at the Bangabandhu International Conference Center (BICC) in Dhaka for the "Multistakeholder Consultation on Beijing+30 Review." 

Jointly hosted by the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) and UN Women Bangladesh, this event marks a significant step forward on the commitments outlined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) in the lead up to the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women (1994).

Dilara Begum, Joint Secretary of MoWCA's Policy Leadership and Advocacy Unit, presented an overview of the progress, achievements, and challenges identified in Bangladesh's National Review of the implementation of the BPfA.

Attendees and speakers shared messages on the event's 'Women's Wall for the Future,' symbolising collective advocacy and commitment to gender equality. 

Participants engaged in group discussions and proposed key recommendations for the government based on the BPfA's 12 critical areas of concern, with an emphasis on policy implementation, legislative reform, and strengthened accountability mechanisms. 

Recommendations included withdrawing the reservations on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), adopting laws such as the prevention of Sexual Harassment Act and amending the Domestic Violence Act, and creating robust annual monitoring mechanisms to ensure accountability in the implementation of commitments on gender equality. 

Referring to the youth consultation on Beijing +30 hosted by the Youth Policy Forum on the 12th of November, Anika Bushra from Youth Policy Forum highlighted the key recommendations, including comprehensive sexuality education at schools to address gender stereotypes and discriminatory social norms, ensuring digital safety of women and girls, and prioritizing efforts to tackle tech-facilitated violence. The importance of addressing the gender digital divide, and support gender-responsive skills development, and addressing unpaid and domestic care burden were also noted during the discussion.

The multistakeholder consultation also underscored the importance of strengthening partnerships among government ministries, NGOs, and civil society organizations. Participants highlighted the need for inclusive dialogue that brings together voices from all sectors, with particular emphasis on youth and grassroots communities. Additionally, participants called for women and especially young women's representation and leadership in decision-making, across sectors, including quotas for women in political parties. The need for gender-responsive climate action and adaptation initiatives, led by grassroots women, was also highlighted. Good practices, such as Bangladesh's "Meena" cartoon and Orsaline campaign, can be leveraged for effective public advocacy and behaviour change to address gender inequality. 

Chief Guest Sharmeen S. Murshid, Adviser of MoWCA, emphasised the critical role of youth in shaping a gender-equal future, stating, "Children and youth are our future, and we must create inclusive spaces that amplify their voices and address their needs." She further stressed the importance of male engagement, adding, "Men must engage in these conversations, understand the struggles women face, and actively share the responsibility for achieving equality." 

In her remarks, she announced plans to initiate Rapid Response Mechanisms to address violence against women and children within 24 hours, strengthen inter-ministerial coordination through collaboration with the Home Ministry, Law Ministry, Labour Ministry and local government, launch programs aimed at engaging men and boys, and initiate scholarly consultations with religious leaders. She also highlighted efforts to tackle technology-based violence in coordination with relevant authorities.

Gitanjali Singh, Country Representative of UN Women Bangladesh, underscored the need for collective, intentional actions toward gender equality, stating, "The BPfA remains one of the most visionary blueprints for women's rights, leadership, and empowerment. While we celebrate the gains globally over the last 30 years, be they in education, legal reforms, or closing the gender pay gap, we remain quite off track. None of the SDG 5 indicators have been met to date. No country has achieved gender equality yet. Women and girls cannot wait 200 years for gender equality. UN Women remains a steadfast partner to both the Government of Bangladesh and civil society as we believe we owe it to women and girls and to everyone, to make gender equality a lived reality. A gender-equal world is within our reach if we choose it."

The event was chaired by Mohammad Mukhlesur Rahman Sarker, Additional Secretary of MoWCA, with Sharmeen S. Murshid, Adviser to the Ministry, attending as Chief Guest. Special Guests included Mamtaz Ahmed, Senior Secretary of MoWCA, and Gitanjali Singh, Country Representative of UN Women Bangladesh.