Change stereotyped mindset towards women: Indira

State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira on Tuesday said that strong commitment of world leaders, UN Agencies and developed countries need to take different global programs for ensuring gender equality.

Urging all to create awareness to change stereotyped mindset towards women, she also stressed by the strong mutual cooperation and understanding we will build better world for women and girls.

She made the urge while addressing a virtual roundtable discussion titled as ‘Ministerial Dialogue and Learning on COVID-19 and Gender inequality in 2021-2022’ organized by the Commonwealth Women’s Affairs Ministers Action Group (CWAMAG) Commission on the Status of Women (CSW).

Women’s Affairs Ministerial Meeting (WAMM) Chair the in-office and Minister of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs of Kenya Professor Margaret Kobia chaired the meeting. Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland QC was also present the meeting.

Indira said, ‘Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is committed to ensure gender equality and women empowerment. She pledged to raise women’s participation in the workforce 50:50 by 2041. It’s hardly seen in the world that only in Bangladesh, Prime Minister, Speaker, Leader of Opposition and Deputy Leader of Parliament are women. Bangladesh is now at the top of the Gender Gap Index in South Asia.”

She said that impact of Covid-19 pandemic hasn’t created only on global health and economic crisis, but also affect women and girls differently. A large number of women have lost their jobs and income due to lockdown, social distance and shutdown markets, shopping malls and other service sectors.

In addition, disruption of girl’s education exposed to exploitation, harassment, inequalities and violence. The government has formulated and implementing climate change and disaster risk reduction policies, programs for achieving gender equality, she added.

Gender and women affairs Ministers of different Commonwealth countries spoke at the meeting on gender equality, women empowerment and learning from Covid-19pandemic.