Skill development is essential for women empowerment- State Minister MeherAfroze MP at UN.

UsaNewsOnline.Com, New York : “Skill development is essential for women empowerment” says MeherAfroze MP, State Minister, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Bangladesh at a side event on ‘Impact of Skill Development for Women’s Economic Empowerment’ held in the side lines of the ongoing 61^st session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). The event was arranged by the Government of Bangladesh, co-sponsored by the Republic of Colombia and UN WOMEN and supported by Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund (VGIF).

State Minister MeherAfrozewas the Key Note Speaker in the Panel discussion of this side event. The event was moderated by Jeri Rhodes, President, VGIF while Ambassador Maria Emma Mejia Velez, Permanent Representative of Colombia, A.H. MonjurulKabir, Senior Program Adviser of UN Women, Mr. Bjorn Gillsater, Special Represent of the World Bank Group to the UN and Ms. Cathy Stevulak, Producer of ‘Threads’ made valuable remarks as Panelists. A short documentary film named “THREADS” was also shown in this event whichtold the story of how a Bangladeshi womenSuraiya Begum transforms an ancient Bengali quilt-work tradition of kantha and forms a social enterprise to teach women in hardship to embroider her elaborate designs. The film showed Surayia and the ordinary women together tell of their struggles and triumphs in their path to dignity and independence.

The State Minister said, “Bangladesh adopted a comprehensive national skills development policy 2011. To implement this Policy, the Government is committed to help build productive capacities of women; provide necessary support to women entrepreneurs; increase employment opportunities for the skilled and non-skilled female workforce; enhance the number of women in public and private jobs; operationalize gender-sensitive planning and budget; ensure equal pay for female workers in all sectors; facilitate enhanced women leadership in the political arena; and increase the number of women at all stages of administration”.

The state Minister reiterated, “Bangladesh is known to be the champion country for empowerment of women. Women are empowered in Bangladesh not only economically, they are empowered socially and politically. Skill development projects are contributing the women folks of Bangladesh for economically better off as well as empowering them”.

Earlier today, in the morning, the State Minister met the European Parliamentary delegation at the office of the EU Delegation. Welcoming the Bangladesh delegation, the Leader of the EU Parliamentary delegation Ms. VilijaBlinkeviciutesaid, “EU has a very cordial relations with Bangladesh in the framework of development Cooperation”. She observed the priority areas of EU countries with regard to gender issue are the women rights, decent work condition, education, violence against women etc. State Minister MeherAfroze, in her intervention, briefed the various policies of the present government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to empower women and bringing gender party in the country. She finally noted the newly enacted laws to prevent child marriage and government resolve to combat violence against women. Ambassador Masud Bin Momen, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN,MsNasima Begum NDC, secretary, Ministry of women and children affairs and Md. Ziaul Islam, Secretary, Ministry of Planning were among thedelegation with the State Minister.