On International Women’s Day, March 07, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared that the Awami League “will eradicate gender discrimination from Bangladesh by 2021, the golden jubilee of the country’s Independence.”
Speaking in Dhaka, she reminded her audience that though Islam secures women’s procedural and property rights, the BNP-Jamaat coalition, the previous government in power, made retrogressive moves on women’s rights. Arguing that the National Women’s Development Policy initiated by Hasina during her last tenure power had been effectively disestablished by the BNP, the Awami League would move swiftly to empower women both legally and economically. She then declared that she believes women should get equal property rights (compared to the quarter share they are assured by Shari’a Law).
As The Daily Star reports:
“To ensure dignity of women, the premier highlighted two issues — education and employment. In this regard she reiterated the government’s plan to make education up to graduation-level free for all.”
“Referring to the leader, deputy leader and the opposition leader of the House and five female cabinet members, she said in future, deputy speaker and speaker of parliament would be made from women.”
This is a very strong move on Sheikh Hasina’s part. In one declaration she has promised to couple her political fate to the social and economic fate of women in her country, a demographic that also happens to be a majority of the population.
