Hiren Pandit
March 8 is International Women’s Day. The 2024 theme, “Invest in women: Accelerate Progress,” highlights the importance of gender equality, women’s and girls’ empowerment, and their rights to healthier lives. It’s a powerful development tool.
Women’s equal rights and investment should advance opportunities. International Women’s Day is celebrated as a celebration of women’s economic, political and social achievements in different regions of the world, expressing respect, appreciation and love for their work. This day is specially celebrated in different countries around the world. Bangladesh is also on the list. International Women’s Day was first celebrated in 1909. Women’s Day was first celebrated in America on February 28 that year. The Socialist Party of America started a strike in New York in 1908 to demand respect for their work.
The strike is going on to demand equal pay and work according to fixed hours. Although women’s society has made considerable progress in the long journey of the women’s movement, the issue of gender equality has not yet been fully established. This image is visible not only in Bangladesh but everywhere in the world. However, the development of the country or society depends on the overall contribution and participation of the people. That is, the desired development is not possible without the participation of half of the population of the society. Indeed, the participation of women in the state system and social activities in Bangladesh has increased.
But it is far below the desired level. Not only that, the oppression and deprivation of women have also not been significantly reduced. The women’s society of the country is still a victim of various types of family, social, and state torture deprivation. Deprivation of women workers in industry is a hot topic. The Dowry system, child marriage, religious superstitions, dominance of patriarchal attitudes in family life, customs, old meditative mindsets etc. are big obstacles in the way of women’s progress.
Constant efforts to overcome these are going on in the country. Various initiatives are being taken at the government and private levels. However, it is not possible to completely erase the traditional social image of the time. However, instead of dealing with complex issues like women’s empowerment, chose inclusion and participation as the theme. Is the development of Bangladesh able to involve women? What recent trends bear witness to women’s empowerment? How important is the empowerment of women in Bangladesh’s development success? Inclusion of women was not a primary priority in the development strategy adopted.
Inclusion of women in development priorities. In many cases, the recruitment of women has been driven more by the suitability of women than by conscious inclusionary objectives. This was as true of women as beneficiaries as it was of women as agents of true development. The inclusion of women in the development workforce began in the seventies. Health and family planning were the main areas of development work then. Community outreach was the main means of service delivery. The majority of health workers in the 1970s were men, but in the early 1980s, mass vaccination campaigns necessitated the recruitment of women workers in more developed areas.
When 64,000 family planning workers were recruited throughout rural Bangladesh, women made regular visits to the women’s service. Engaging Women at Development Frontiers. The inclusion of women in the workforce and identification as primary beneficiaries in health, education, and family planning were hallmarks of Bangladesh’s development strategy. In this way, women become the visible subject of development. Women have played an important role in the development of Bangladesh.
While not conclusive on empowerment, the inclusion of women as implementers and intended beneficiaries is important and central to this success story, especially when development is seen in the light of social development objectives. A review of trends in women’s education, life expectancy, life-affecting, and decision-making about how many children they can have concludes that women have witnessed massive changes in their environment over the past 50 years. Generally unemployed women are disempowered early in life and deprived of opportunities through education. Therefore, the focus should be on facilitating their entry into the labor market, bringing balance between work and life.
Besides solving problems and helping women to develop their full potential. Overall, women have played an important role in Bangladesh’s success story. Investing in their inclusion as development workers and beneficiaries of development has made success possible for Bangladesh. What is important now is to remove other barriers, so that inclusion means positive empowerment. International Women’s Day is not just a day, but a new day to think about self-awareness, gaining rights identifying barriers, and thinking about the status of women internationally.
Women on the one hand are warriors, heroes, activists, self-sacrifices and the indescribable gentle beauty and power of the Mona Lisa. Women have overcome their physical limitations and climbed far higher in talent and ability. The rising woman of the 21st century is not confined to traditional lines. Women came out of their thoughts and created an enlightened world. Women are daughters, wives, and mothers, women permeated her identity. As she demonstrated her skill in the administration of the state, he reached the heights of success in scientific research. Society, state, and family have repeatedly deprived him. The time has come to think whether we will see women only as women, or as human beings, as servants and as agents of social transformation.
Women are victims of various atrocities from their childhood to old age. Perverted men start with sexual abuse and end with marginalization. After establishing a consensual relationship called marriage, what status, rights and entitlements do women get in how many families? Step-by-step insult. First start in agriculture. In various areas of society including child rearing, and housework. Production, investment and use of talent have lit the lamp of women’s progress and progress. There is no remuneration for the work done by women in the home. She does not get even the least respect, or sympathy.
Initiatives of women’s self-reliance are being taken by non-govt. organizations and government agencies. Loan repayment grants and old age allowances are given. This help is not enough. Money is given for the rearing of cattle-poultry, and the purchase of a sewing machine. There are various conditions. Women have to face complicated problems to get rid of the burden. Krishi Bank and other institutions have provided a small amount of account opening and loan facilities, but these are not enough.
Women are living a circular life in this world full of traps. Even today, women have to bear the torture of their husbands. Blood eyes, social system, discrimination in the fence, what will the women give to this society? The Government of Bangladesh has given more importance to the formulation of various health policies and strategies in light of Sustainable Development Goal 3 Health and Well-being. To provide information, the government has formulated the Service Beneficiary’s Rights Charter and the Citizen’s Charter and has taken necessary steps on the same.
Moreover, the issue of informing about various health policies and strategies has also come up. In 2008, the Citizens’ Charter on Access to Public Services in Health Care Centers was formulated. Through this charter, information has been given on what kind of reproductive health-related services people can get at the district, upazila, union and ward levels. What information do you have a right to know about reproductive health issues? Safe motherhood and reproductive health of women and adolescents is a right, especially for women and adolescents. That is why they have the right to know various information related to reproductive health.
They are information on what safe motherhood is or what to do about it; detailed information about the dangers of pregnancy so that they can identify the dangers or complications of pregnancy themselves and go to the service center for help in time; Information regarding diseases or maternal illnesses caused by complications of pregnancy and ways to avoid these diseases or dangers; Can get information about sexually transmitted diseases and symptoms of diseases.
Growing number of children is currently a major problem in Bangladesh. Family planning can play a significant role in curbing unplanned population in the country. Moreover, planned family formation is essential for family prosperity and the proper upbringing of children, which can be done through family planning. A woman, man, and able-bodied couple can exercise their reproductive and sexual rights through family planning. For example, in unintended pregnancy, in deciding whether to use birth control methods, in planning pregnancy, in choosing birth control, in determining the number of children according to the age of the parents and the number of children the family wants to have; Just as women have the right to know about the different methods of family planning (permanent and temporary), they also have the right to know about its side effects or benefits and accurate information.
You have the right to know where you can take family planning according to your choice. The adolescent population of our country suffers from various reproductive health problems. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to child marriage, the risk of early motherhood and the resulting reproductive health risks. Moreover, as a result of early motherhood, adolescent maternal and neonatal mortality in Bangladesh is much higher than the national maternal and neonatal mortality rate. The socio-cultural environment of the country is often a barrier for adolescents to access information about reproductive health.
Besides, there is a lack of institutional education among them. If the right information about reproductive health is available at the right time. In particular, child marriage and teenage motherhood and the problems arising from them can be prevented. Women have the right to know where to find reproductive health information. Moreover, women have the full right to know what kind of treatment is available in the service centers, what is the cost of the service, when or what time will the scheduled service be available, what kind of tests are available, how much they cost, when they can be done, etc.
It also includes the right to know who can get reproductive health information at the district, upazila, union and ward levels.
There should be continuity in healthcare. For example, since pregnancy care, delivery postnatal care, etc. are continuous issues, continuity of care is also very important in these areas. We have a right to know what is ongoing treatment or follow-up. After getting seriously ill, after using the medicines given by the doctor, how is the patient’s condition or if the patient needs any other treatment, the doctor will provide support and advice to the patient.
This is called the right to secure and consistent service. There is a need to protect the privacy of service recipients in accessing reproductive health services. This privacy is within the right of the recipient of the service during consultation or checkup. But many times they don’t get that environment. In addition, it is the right of the service recipient to maintain the confidentiality of all medical records related to reproductive health. If it is necessary to transfer such recorded information, the permission of the recipient of the service must be obtained. These are included in the ‘right to privacy in receiving reproductive health care’.
The writer is a, Research Fellow and Columnist