Human Rights Monitor
Commemorating International
Women's Day 2011:
Empowerment of women to be ensured
Ershadul Alam and Sharmila Islam
(...From previous issue)
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is honored to offer congratulations and express solidarity with women and girls throughout Bangladesh on the International Women's Day, a day of celebration across the globe. This year's theme is "Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women." On this occasion, we remember that securing economic and social progress and achieving the full enjoyment of human rights and freedoms require the active participation, equality and development of women. This celebration is an opportunity for all of us, women and men, to unite in a cause that embraces all humanity. For empowering women is not only a goal in itself, but is a condition for building better lives for everyone.
While recognizing the progress Bangladesh has made toward gender equality, we must also acknowledge the many inequities that continue to exist. In our country, women continue to be under-represented in decision-making positions. The work of women continues to be undervalued, underpaid, or not paid at all. The wide majority of Bangladeshi children who drop out of school early are girls. Women in Bangladesh have a nearly 50 percent lower adult literacy rate than men. Worst of all, violence against women and girls continues, with devastating effects on women's lives, on their families, and our entire society.
The NHRC was established with a comprehensive mandate outlined in the National Human Rights Commission Act 2009. The functions of the Commission include: investigation and inquiry; recommendation, legal aid and human rights advocacy; and research and training on human rights law, norms and practices. To fulfill this mandate, the Commission has developed a five-year Strategic Plan that sets our broad direction and priorities for the next five years.
The Commission has identified 16 thematic areas which represent some of the most pressing human rights issues our country is facing. Among the most serious human rights issues on which the NHRC is placing priority are the issues of discrimination against women and gender-based violence. But we also emphasize the cross-cutting nature of the rights of women, as women and girls represent nearly half of Bangladesh's population. Thus, the rights of women are inextricably linked to every other human rights issue -- from child rights to rights of indigenous peoples, from access to justice to economic and social rights, as well as violence by state mechanisms. All such human rights violations involve women as victims who suffer equally or, in many cases, more severely than men.
The NHRC congratulates the Government on its approval of the Jatiyo Nari Unnyan Niti 2011 (National Women Development Policy of 2011) just prior to this year's IWD. The Commission is hopeful and strongly encourages the Government to ensure speedy implementation of the goals of the policy to effectively protect and promote the rights of women in Bangladesh.
For its part, the NHRC has already received numerous complaints and will continue to actively monitor the situation as regards domestic abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence.
Bangladesh has been successful in ensuring school enrollment at primary level but the drop out rate is still very high among the girl children at all level. Sexual harassment is one of the main causes of high drop out rate besides poverty.
Government has revised the minimum wage standard for the garments worker (about 80% are women) but still in some places it is not implemented. It needs time to time revision to match with the living standard. Government has announced six months maternity leave but women feel threatened to loose their jobs. Child care centre for working mother particularly for the poor working women are very few in number. The NHRC recommends for introducing specific legislation to ensure decent work and fair wage for women (and all) as per commitment of the Government to the Millennium Declaration and PRSP. Percentage of women migrant workers is significant legislation, legal support for their safety and welfare is required.
The Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Act, 2010 will be helpful to reduce violence against women. It is also important how the people use this Act to resist sexual harassment. Most of the domestic workers are women and adolescent girls who are deprived from fair wage and sometimes victims of physical torture and sexual harassment. Protecting domestic workers' right is becoming a concern. International Women's Day reminds us of our responsibility to work for durable change in attitudes and values. It calls us to work collaboratively -- the government, civil society, international organizations and the private sector. It urges us to work to transform relations between women and men, at all levels of society. It compels us to redouble our efforts to empower women and girls in areas from education to health to micro credit. So on this global centennial of International Women's Day, we at the NHRC rededicates us to protecting and advancing the rights of women. We invite our fellow citizens to join us in working together to ensure that no one - woman, man or child - is left behind in the 21st century.
Source: National Human Rights Commission of Bangladesh.
International women's day
8 March 2011 - marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, which was observed for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland in 1911. The Day recognises that securing peace, social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights requires the active participation, equality and development of women. It also acknowledges the contribution of women to the strengthening of international peace and security.
For the women of the world, the Day's symbolism has a wider meaning. It is an opportunity to unite, network and mobilise for meaningful change. It is also an occasion to review how far they have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development.
The Gender Equality Index (GEI) by Social Watch is one tool used to measure this progress. It shows the recent evolution and trends in bridging the gap between men and women in education, the economy and empowerment. The GEI for 2009 (left) shows significant progress in the Latin America/Caribbean region, while South Asia has regressed the most. A country or region that attains a value of 100 is said to have complete gender parity.
The GEI makes clear that differences in income between countries are not directly correlated to gender inequity. Many poor countries have reached high levels of equity, while many wealthier ones continue to have huge disparities between men and women.
The theme of the Day for 2011 is "Equal access to education, training and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women". Ensuring that women acquire necessary skills and competencies in science and technology in particular is not only an economic imperative, but also empowers women and girls and has positive effects on the well-being of their families, communities and nations.
Sources: United Nations Women Watch.
