Political leaders who believe in gender equity lack the power to influence policy decisions while those who have enough clout do not strongly feel about the issue, said women's rights activists at a discussion yesterday.

Even some members of the parliamentary standing committee on women and children affairs ministry sometimes blame women's dress sense for harassments on streets, said Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) President Ayesha Khanam.

BMP organised the discussion on gender sensitive budget and development at its office in the capital.

Research Director of Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies Dr Binayak Sen said the government's monthly maternity allowance of Tk 500 for poor lactating mothers is "a joke to the impoverished women" and therefore the amount of such allowances should be increased by enlarging the reach of taxation.

"If properties owned by people are valued at their current market price, many people will become eligible for taxation," he said.

Assistant Professor of economics at Dhaka University Dr Saima Haq Bidisha said the national economy would have a great impact, if the 57 percent of women who are engaged in unpaid labour at home were included in the labour market. But before that, day care centres and women's hostels should be developed across the country, she added.

BMP Secretary (andolon upa-parishad) Kazi Sufia Akhter, BMP General Secretary Maleka Banu, and Associate Professor of economics at Jahangirnagar University Sharmind Nilormi also spoke.