Gender equality a must to achieve MDGs

In the MDGs, women empowerment in social, political and economic arenas has been emphasised. To achieve the goal, a change must be brought in the gender-biased social culture with participation of youths, university students and all other concerns, speakers observed.

They were speaking at a view exchange meeting organised by Mahila Parishad at the auditorium of Institute of Social Welfare and Research of Dhaka University (DU).

Reading out a keynote paper, Secretary of legal aid sub-committee of the Parishad Advocate Masuda Rehana Begum said, "Without developing an anti-women repression culture across the country, protection of human rights for women is not possible."

Based on her experiences while exchanging views with the students of various public universities and other educational institutes, she observed that gender discrimination is acute even in those highest learning bodies.

"As no anti-repression movement is seen in the society, even the higher educated women are frequently becoming victims of various kinds of physical, mental and sexual harassment in the public universities and work places."

Victims often do not disclose harassments fearing social stigma or shyness and consequently nobody knows about those incidents, she added.

Chaired by central member of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad Shahana Kabir, the meeting was also addressed by General Secretary Ayesha Khanam and Provost of DU Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall Tahmina Akhter Toffee. A number of DU students joined the meeting.

Ayesha Khanam gave students a wake up call and urged them to be vocal against any kind of women repression in the country.

She said, "It's high time that we broke the taboo and raised voice so that no more women become victim of repression."