Greater role of women in budget-making stressed

Speakers at a programme stressed the need for greater participation of women in budget-making, its implementation and evaluation process for betterment of a half the country's population.

They also called for a gender sensitive budget for the local government administration so that women could benefit from the national budget.

The speakers expressed these Wednesday at a pre-budget view exchange meeting on Gender Sensitive National Budget-2014, organised by Steps Towards Development, a non governmental organisation (NGO) at the National Press Club in the city.

Women were doing 128 kinds of work at home and outside but they were not getting recognition of their work, said Meher Afroz Chumki, state minister for women and children affairs ministry, while speaking as the chief guest.

"The finance minister will be told to take necessary measures in the pre-budget discussion in this connection," she said.

Rasheda K Choudhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education said although the female participation in education sector was appreciable, only four per cent of them were in the technical education sector.

The meeting put some suggestions including special budget allocation for the local government administration so that it could take necessary steps to eliminate torture and sexual harassment of women.

Salma Khan, ex-chairman of the United Nation's Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), Ranjan Karmakar, executive director of Steps Towards Development, Tarikul Islam Khan, senior assistant secretary of finance ministry, among others, were present at the programme.