By Silvanus Lamin
BARCIK along with its associate organizations such as farmer, women, youth and occupational groups’ organizations and associations in 5 working areas (Dhaka, Netrakona, Satkhira, Rajshahi, Manikgonj) observed the international women’s day yesterday 8 March, 2023. The theme of this year’s international women’s day is DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.
People from different walks comprised farmers, women, youths, students, teachers, journalists, development activists and members of civil society participated in different activities that organizations arranged to mark the day. Besides Member of Parliament (MP) from Manikgonj and government officials such as UNO (Upazila Nirbahi Officer), livestock, development and agriculture officials participated in the different events and discussions.
With facilitation and supports from BARCIK the local organizations and associations organized cycle rally, human chains, discussions, competitions, cultural events and some other sorts of activities to mark the very day.
Students, youths and adolescent girls participated in cycle rallies and urged all to pay attention towards women through the banners, festoons and play cards they hold while circumambulating different cities and localities in the rallies and bicycle rallies.
The host organizations also arranged different discussions where people of different occupations including the government officials shared their views and concerns about women and asked all to recognize the role women play in the families and societies as well as in the development of the state. While sharing their wounds and woes a woman farmer from Manikgonj named Romela Begum said, ‘a woman accomplishes many works in a family compared to a man but these works of women have not yet been recognized by the male members in the society. Women are sidelined and discriminated. It’s now time to pay attention on women to initiate real and sustainable development.’
In the meantime, a woman from the slum area of Dhaka named Arpona Goswami said, ‘We the low income people living in the slum areas of Dhaka have been discriminated and assaulted years after years. No one pays attention towards us and our development. We don’t have houses and the environment to lead a happy and satisfied life and livelihoods but no one comes stand besides us and advocates for our development.’
She went on saying, ‘During this women day nobody talks about the problems of the slum and low income people living the slum areas. Nobody raises concerns about the difficulties and uncertainty we face in our day to day life. In this day, thus, I would like to call upon the government to do something for us so that we can uphold our existence’.
However, the organizers arranged different cultural events and competition during marking the day and boys, girls and women participated in those events spontaneously. The participants of the competitions were awarded with prizes at the end of the day.
It is to mention that BARCIK has been working in different areas of Bangladesh to promote women rights and empowerment through implementing gender sensitive activities.
