Empower women through RTI
Nearly half of the population, primarily women, are deprived of their right to access critical information, said Sharmeen S Murshid, adviser to the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Social Welfare, at an event yesterday.
"Poverty and low education primarily impact women, who are often victims of abuse. To overcome barriers to accessing information, the Right to Information (RTI) Act must be implemented at the grassroots level, involving women and marginalised communities. Public awareness must be raised about RTI," she said.
The remarks came at the "Annual Learning Summit of Advancing Women's Right to Access Information in Bangladesh (AWRTI)", organised by The Carter Center and Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) at a city hotel.
Murshid also called for a cultural shift away from secrecy towards transparency regarding information disclosure.
"When information is not readily available, misinformation can easily take hold," she explained.
To overcome barriers to accessing information, the RTI Act must be implemented at the grassroots level, involving women and marginalised communities.
She also pointed out that women's full access to information reveals notable gender disparities, largely due to a lack of gender-sensitive policies, entrenched socio-cultural norms, and limited female involvement in civil society organisations.
Shaheen Anam, executive director of MJF, highlighted the significance of the project that was initiated in 2023, aimed at increasing public-led accountability and reducing corruption by advancing a meaningful right of access to information for women in 10 targeted districts.
"This initiative proves that when women have access to information, they not only empower themselves, but also bring about transformation within their families," she said.
Sumana Sultana Mahmud, chief of party at the Carter Center, presented the lessons learned from the past year of the project.
Over one year, the project operated in six districts and facilitated dialogues between 64 government representatives and Dalits with marginalised communities regarding RTI.
Training sessions were conducted for 146 teachers on gender and RTI, while 130 government officials and 23 elected women representatives also received training. 344 courtyard meetings were organised, engaging more than 4,000 women participants. In addition, 1,369 RTI applications were filed, with 1,205 (88 percent) of those submitted by women.
Alena Tansey, director of the Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance Office at USAID Bangladesh, commended these efforts.
She emphasised that women make up half of Bangladesh's population, and their active participation is essential for achieving inclusive development.
The people of Bangladesh are naturally curious and regularly share information; this exchange of knowledge should be institutionalised to further empower women, she said.
Mohammed Humayun Kabir, additional secretary of the Cabinet Division, emphasised that to address and eliminate inequality, we must effectively implement RTI.
"In today's world, information is power; therefore, to empower women in Bangladesh, we must ensure their access to information."
SM Kamrul Islam, director of the Information Commission Bangladesh, said people are the true owners of this country. Therefore, whenever they seek information, those in public service must disclose it.
Four beneficiaries from the Rajshahi, Satkhira, Khagrachari, and Sylhet regions shared their transformative stories in the event.
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