Empowering female public representatives stressed

RANGPUR, Aug 31 (BSS): There is no alternative to empowering the union and upazila level elected female public representatives in attaining sustainable and balanced socioe-conomic development and ensuring women empowerment.
Speakers said this at a development workshop on 'Challenges in Empowering Female Public Representatives in Local Government Bodies and Way-outs' held at Begum Rokeya auditorium in Mithapukur upazila town here on Sunday.
Mithapukur upazila administration organised the workshop with assistance of Upazila Governance Project (UZGP) of the Local Government Division under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives.
Chairmen, members and female members of Ranipukur, Pairaband, Moyenpur, Baro Bala, Chengmari, Balua Masimpur and Bhnagni unions, female members from reserved wards of Mithapukur upazila parishad and journalists participated.
Mithapukur Upazila Chairman Zakir Hossain Sarker attended the workshop as the chief guest with Upazila Nirbahi Officer Harun Ar Rashid in the chair.
Mithapukur Upazila Vice-chairmen Moududa Akhter and Abdul Halim Mandal addressed as special guests.
Assistant Commissioner (Land) for Mithapukur upazila delivered keynote presentation narrating the importance of ensuring empowerment of the female public representatives in the local government bodies.
Narrating their field level experiences, the female members stressed for ensuring their rights in making local government institutions more effective in ensuring development and empowerment of the women in building a middle income nation.
They asked for ensuring participatory work-plans, preparing policies, fund allocation and just facilities to the female union and upazila parishad members and involving them with all development activities in the local government institutions.
They put importance on empowerment of the female public representatives and paving congenial atmosphere for them in conducting duties in the local government bodies for accelerating development, welfare and empowerment of the rural women.
The speakers said female members could contribute the maximum in rooting out child marriage, dowry, divorce, polygamy, repression on women and children, trafficking, acid terrorism and 'Hilla' marriage in building a happy and peaceful society.
The female members must take active parts in poverty alleviation, reproductive health and family planning, female education, marriage and birth registrations for paving the stronger way to ensuring women empowerment, they said.