UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo has paid a courtesy call on State Minister for Women and Children Affairs Fazilatun Nessa Indira.
They discussed various issues related to the development, empowerment and equality of women in Bangladesh at the State Minister’s office of at Bangladesh Secretariat on Sunday. The State Minister said that Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman guaranteed equal rights for men and women in all walks of life in the 1972 constitution of Bangladesh and consolidated women's empowerment.
“Following this, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has taken various steps for women's development, empowerment, and establishment of equal rights, and creation of employment in Bangladesh. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh has created a role model in the world for women's development and empowerment,” she said.
She further said that at the 75th session of the United Nations, the Prime Ministerpledged to increase the employment of women in the workplace to 50:50 by 2041.
The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs is working to implement this pledge of the Prime Minister.
Referring to the projects of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs that are being implemented with financial and technical assistance from the United Nations and its agencies UNICEF, UNFPA and UN Women she said, “These projects are playing an important role in gender equality, food security, women's empowerment, prevention of violence against women and children, prevention of child marriage and development of adolescents.”
She added that the Gender Responsive Coastal Adaptation project of the United Nations Green Climate Fund is working to improve the livelihoods, water security and adaptation skills of women in coastal areas.
The outgoing UN Resident Coordinator in Bangladesh Mia Seppo, mentioning the UN's long-standing diplomatic relations with Bangladesh, said that the UN is working for women's socio-economic development and empowerment in Bangladesh.
She said that her four-year tenure in Bangladesh would remain memorable.
She expressed gratitude for the overall cooperation during her stay in Dhaka.
Secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs Md Saidul Islam, UN Women Country Representative Gitanjali Singh and officials of the Ministry were present during this time.
