MINISTRY OF WOMEN
AND CHILDREN AFFAIRS
A Presentation
Presented by:
Ms. Khurshid Zahan Haque MP
Minister for Women and Children Affairs
Bangladesh
Development Forum
9 May 2004
1
WOMEN AND CHILDREN
ADVANCEMENT AND RIGHTS
Bangladesh is a developing country having a total
population of 129.2 million where women constitute
49.5% and women and children together constitute
70% of the total population.
• Government of Bangladesh has firm commitment
towards attaining gender equality through women’s
empowerment and children’s needs, issues,
priorities and rights.
• Ministry of Women and Children Affairs is the lead
Ministry for gender and development and children
advancement; It acts as watchdog to oversee the
gender issues implemented by other Ministries;
2
COMMITMENT MADE FOR WOMEN
ADVANCEMENT IN THE LAST BDF
• Undertake a social audit and analysis to determine the poverty
status of women in all sectors and in rural and urban settings.
• Reinforce the mechanism to implement laws affecting women.
• Advocate for implementation and allocation of resources for
Gender Equality Strategy and Maternal Health Strategy within
the Health, Nutrition and Population Sector Program (HNPSP)
• Creating effective safety-net for distressed and vulnerable
women and children through social protection program
3
COMMITMENT MADE FOR CHILDREN
ADVANCEMENT IN THE LAST BDF
• Prepare a National Plan of Action for Children in line with
MDGs and a World Fit for Children Agenda
• Establish an Independent Commission for Children to act
as watch dog for achieving children’s advancement and
rights.
• Combating child sexual abuse and child sexual exploitation
including trafficking
• Preparatory work to establish a Children’s Directorate to
implement the CRC and NPA for children in line with MDG
4
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: WOMEN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Production of Draft Report On Women
Advancement and Rights for PRSP with the
following focus :
- Gender dimensions and determinants
of women’s poverty;
- Strategies and interventions for
women’s advancement and rights;
- Medium Term Policy Matrix for FY
2004-2006 indicating sectors, challenges,
interventions already taken and
interventions to be taken (2004-2006)
- Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators.
5
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: WOMEN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Initiatives have been taken to
develop a Program Based Approach
through prioritization and best use of
available resources in partnership
with development partners.
• Special Project on Social Protection
and Safety Net Development for
disadvantaged women and children
has been undertaken after thorough
review of the existing situation and
an extensive need assessment.
6
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: WOMEN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Programs of food assistance have
targeted the ultra-poor women at 467
Upazillas.
• Initiatives have been taken to
address food leakage.
• Women and Children Repression Act
2000 was amended in 2003 to ensure
improved and effective enforcement
to protect women from domestic
violence and trafficking.
7
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: WOMEN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Speedy Trial Act and Special
Tribunals are in operation for
enforcement and quick disposal of
cases regarding violence against
women.
• Safe-custody homes for women and
adolescent girls-under- trial have
been functioning. Also a legal aid
fund has been established for women
and children in prison or under trial.
8
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: WOMEN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• DNA Lab and hot-line services have
been introduced at the One-StopCrisis Center to provide quick
assistance to the victims of violence.
• In joint cooperation with MOHFW
strategies have been developed and
supported to address maternal
mortality, child mortality and the
nutrition status of women and
children.
9
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: WOMEN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Special program for awareness about
HIV/AIDS has been undertaken.
• Actions are being taken to develop a
social movement against dowry.
• Nation-wide road marches are
organized as a protest to combat
dowry, domestic violence, acid
throwing and trafficking of women
and children.
10
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: WOMEN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Gender responsive migration
policy is in the process of
finalization.
• Through the initiative of free
education for girls up to class 12
drop-out rates have been
reduced and gender parity at
primary education has been
achieved.
11
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: WOMEN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
•
One International University for Women
has been established.
•
Women Studies Department has been
introduced at the Dhaka University.
•
Initiatives have been taken to develop
Gender responsive curriculum in 4
Training Institutes of GOB officials –
BPATC, NAEM, BCS Administration
Academy, and Academy for Planning and
Development.
12
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: WOMEN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Issue-based consultations and
dialogue between GOB, Women’s
organizations and civil society
are being organized regarding
the implementation of CEDAW
and National Action Plan for
Advancement of Women.
13
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: CHILDREN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Draft Report on Children Advancement and
Rights for PRSP has been prepared for the
first time which contains:
- status of child rights program;
- Children’s needs
- Program planning matrix highlighting
objectives, strategies, activities,
implementation plan and lead agency;
- Monitoring and Evaluation Indicators.
14
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: CHILDREN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• NPA for Children (2004-9) has
been formulated where the
following 5 areas have been
highlighted:
Education, Health, Protection,
Food and nutrition and Physical
Environment.
15
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: CHILDREN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Government has taken positive steps
to establish an Independent
Commission for Children which will
act as a “watch dog” to ensure
effective implementation of NPA for
children, CRC, SEACT and MDG and
World Fit for Children Agenda.
• This will also promote and ensure
children’s rights, priority and
visibility in the Government’s
policies.
16
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: CHILDREN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Government has taken steps to implement
‘whole child concept’ through ‘Early Childhood Development Program’ from 0-05
years of age focusing Nutrition, good
behavior, parental care and pre-school
learning.
• Empowerment of rural adolescent girls
addressed through a pilot project in 32
districts: mid-term evaluation shows a
decrease of early marriage and dowry
related marriage.
17
ACCOMPLISHMENTS AFTER THE LAST
BDF: CHILDREN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• The issue of increasing the age of
criminal responsibility for children is
under consideration.
• Preparatory works to establish a
Children’s Directorate to implement
CRC and NPA for Children in line with
the MDG.
• Combating Child Sexual Abuse and
Child Sexual Exploitation Including
Trafficking is an on-going pilot
project.
18
PLAN AHEAD FOR WOMEN AND
CHILDREN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• To promote micro-entrepreneurship
at the grassroots level and to ensure
fair price for the growers a concept
paper on ‘One district–one product’
has been developed.
• Initiatives have been taken for
inclusion of relevant articles in the
law for effective implementation of
SAARC Convention on Preventing and
Combating Trafficking in Women and
Children for Prostitution.
19
PLAN AHEAD FOR WOMEN AND
CHILDREN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Government has taken steps to
withdraw the reservation on the
UN-CEDAW Article no. 16.1(C) to
protect women’s human rights.
• Several initiatives taken to
increase women’s access to
justice.
20
PLAN AHEAD FOR WOMEN AND
CHILDREN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• Improve representation of women at all level of
government.
• Increase accountability for delivery of improved
services to women.
• Advocate for CEDAW and NAP implementation
amongst all line Ministries.
• Engender National Budget to restructure and target
the allocation of public expenditures to promote
women’s economic opportunities and equal access
to productive resources as per PRSP.
• Strengthening creation of gender disaggregated
date and gender sensitive research.
21
PLAN AHEAD FOR WOMEN AND
CHILDREN ADVANCEMENT AND
RIGHTS
• A Counter Trafficking Framework
Report on Bangladesh Perspective
has been finalized to address
trafficking in person from multiministerial and multi-dimensional
approach through two separate
programs – one for women and the
other for children.
22
Thank You
23