Time to create congenial business environ for women: Nihad Kabir

Women's representation in different trade bodies still remains at a miniscule level. A good number of trade bodies do not have even one single woman member. In such a situation, election of three successful businesswomen as the head of one of the country's most prestigious and oldest chambers in the last two decades remains a great source of inspiration for most women.
Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI), Dhaka chose Laila Rahman Kabir as its first woman president in 1998 when hardly any woman was on the executive committees of the country's chamber bodies and trade associations. Fifteen years later, the members of the same Chamber elected Rokeya Afzal Rahman as its head for two consecutive terms (2013 & 2014). Barrister Nihad Kabir is the current MCCI president.
On the occasion of the International Women's Day, the Financial Express talked to Ms. Kabir to know how she looks at the women's empowerment situation in Bangladesh.
"I was elected to lead the MCCI. So, I cannot claim that I represent only women here. But indeed the election of a woman as MCCI president has some demonstrative effect in society," she said.
Nihad said, "It is not something I had to fight for in this Chamber. Chamber members elected me like previous female presidents without hesitation, which certainly means they recognise the ability of women."
As the president, she said, her challenges are to uphold the Chamber's reputation and add new dimension to the MCCI, in terms of promotion of unhindered business activities.
"MCCI members have a reputation of being among the top tax payers and pursuing ethical business practices. So my main challenge is to keep this image afloat and help bridge the gap that now exists between business and academia, to create and fill jobs" she continued.
The MCCI is now focusing on bridging the gap between demand for, and supply of, skilled manpower using available institutional facilities."To further strengthen this initiative, I am now trying to insitutionalise the efforts taken by MCCI from 2014 and do something sustainable," Nihad said when she was asked to mention about her plans concerning the chamber body.
The MCCI members contribute around 40 per cent of the revenue mobilised by the large tax payers unit (LTU).
Nihad said the MCCI's mandate is different from other chambers as its members belong to the business groups that are already well-established. So, there is less scope of focusing directly on women here.
She explained that acquiring membership of the MCCI by women depends on their graduation to medium or large enterprises.
She was of the view that the microfinance system has brought about a major change in the social structure of rural Bangladesh. Now it is the state's duty to create a congenial business environment in rural areas. It can be done by making available collateral-free credit at single digit interest and ensuring proper marketing facilities, she pointed out.
Barrister Nihad said while on the boards of banks she always supported equal treatment of women as borrowers, so that if for a product men did not need guarantors, neither should women.
Nihad who earned her Law degree from the Cambridge University in 1988, and was called to the Bar of England and Wales in 1989, is now senior partner of a reputed law firm -- Syed Ishtiaq Ahmed and Associates.  She is also involved in a wide array of activities in various capacities.  She is director of BRAC Bank, Infrastructure Development Company (IDCOL), Palli Karma Shahayak Foundation, bKash and also chairperson of BRAC EPL Investment Limited and BRAC EPL Stock Brokerage Limited.
She is well recognised as an expert in corporate and commercial law. She has made contributions to important private and public sector entities, including Padma Bridge, Mass Rapid Transit, Bus Rapid Transit, Centre for Policy Dialogue, Policy Research Institute as legal advisor. Nihad also had a role in drafting and/or reviewing the PublicPrivate Partnership Act, National Payment System Act, Competition Act, Special Economic Zone Act, Labour Act 2006 and rules, Direct Tax Act etc. She worked in Manila with the Asian Development Bank as Counsel for three and a half years.
Nihad Kabir, who comes from a well-reputed family engaged in tea plantation business, admitted that being a member of the privileged class of society, her struggle cannot be similar to that of a young woman in rural area.
They (rural and socially under-privileged women) need to be recognised for their efforts and the state should extend support to them to move forward.
The MCCI president, however, expressed her satisfaction at the increase in women's representation in politics, society and economic activities.  But, she said, there should be more efforts to improve the skill level of women and increase their visibility at all productive economic activities.
Barrister Nihad does not like the idea of celebrating women's success on a particular day. Nor does she like anything like 'men versus women'. It should be 'men and women', she said.
She regretted the legal move to allow child marriage by lowering the age limit.
"I am absolutely against it. The state is responsible for protecting the children. No excuse is acceptable in this regard", she said.  
Appreciating the government's efforts to help women join the mainstream national activities, the MCCI president emphasized more on government's supporting areas of women's education rural entrepreneurship development, women's mobility in the economy, political empowerment through direct election.
"I am very positive about what is happening in the country. In the next few decades, women's role in the economy will be counted in a different way."