Thrust on equal rights of women in family |
Speakers on Sunday demanded equal rights of women in family income and decision making process. The demands were raised at a press conference titled 'Ensure Fair Right of Women in Family Income' organized by the National Committee on International Rural Women. On the eve of the International Rural Women's Day Celebrations, women rights activists said besides usual household works women are involved in various unpaid works like agricultural, fisheries, forestry, livestock and various labor-intensive industries. Describing the present status of women in this sector, they also noted that women are not properly recognized in the family and in the society due to lack of financial value of these invisible labour. It is to be mentioned that EquityBD works as secretariat of National Committee on International Rural Women's Day Celebrations. Women rights activist said women's participation in the decision and policy making process should be included to ensure equal rights of women in family income and decision making process. The Press Conference was moderated by Ferdous Ara Rumee, Secretariat Coordinator of the National Committee on Rural Women's Day Celebrations, while Shamima Akhter, the President of the alliance, presented the keynote paper at the press conference. Member of the National Committee Nahid Sultana, Masuda Faruque Ratna, Executive Director of Gram Bikash Sahayak Sangstha, Morzina Ahmed, Executive Director of Disable Welfare Society, Rehana Begum of Bangladesh Krishok Fedaration and Ivan Ahmed Kotha of Socheton Somaj Seba Hizra Sangha also spoke on the occasion. Shamima Akhter said women are doing more household works than men in Bangladesh. On an average women's more than 6 hours of household work is not getting any recognition. On the contrary, a man spends only one hour on such work. If women's household work can be calculated in terms of money the total value will be 87.2 percent of the total GDP of Bangladesh. According to the article 345 of the Bangladesh Labor Act 2006, wages of women and male should be equal but in the case of processing crops men's daily wage is about Tk300-600 and women get only Tk350. |