Nat'l convention of women with disability today

Over 2,500 women and representatives of civil society, national and international organisations and rights activists will take part in the daylong convention at Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the city, with Communications Minister Nazmul Huda as the chief guest.

Organised by the Action on Disability and Development (ADD) and Jatiya Protibondhi Nari Parishad, the convention will focus on various issues such as participation of physically challenged people in the parliamentary elections, reforms of the 2004 national policy on women and participation of women with disability in decision-making process.

The National Disabled Women's Council will also be launched at the convention.

Nearly ten percent of the total population in the country are physically challenged. Among them, around 45 lakh are women who are most vulnerable and often fell victim to violence, the organisers said at a press conference yesterday.

The women with disability are the most marginalised as the discrimination they experience is compounded by negative attitudes to disability and gender, said Isaac Kute, chief executive of ADD.

"Women have a crucial role to play within the disability movement and within their community in this regard. The work of National Disabled Women's Council (NDWC) will help achieve great success in the struggle to achieve the rights of disabled women," he added.

Mosharraf Hossain, ADD country representative, Firoza Akhter Shima of Bikash Protibondhi Nari Shangathan and Habib of Jatiya Trinamul Protibondhi Shangstha also spoke.