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PM opens road march

Unite to fight discrimination, repression on women

UNB, Dhaka
Prime Minister Khaleda Zia inaugurated the Dhaka Podojatra (road march) at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium yesterday as part of an ongoing countrywide road march to create awareness against cruelty on women and children.
The month-long road campaign styled "Jagoron (Awakening) Podojatra 2003" began on February 22 at Tentulia in Panchagarh on the northern tip of the country and would finish on March 22 at Teknaf in Cox's Bazaar on the southeastern tip.
The campaign has been organised by Aswash Mohila Unnayan Sangstha (AMUS), an NGO, and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and the Ministry of Information. Australian and US governments provided assistance for the road march.
Information Minister Tariqul Islam, Women and Children Affairs Minister Khurshid Jahan Huq, US Ambassador in Dhaka Mary Ann
Peters, Australian High Commissioner Lorraine Barker, acting secretary of the Women and Children Affairs Ministry Reza-e-Rabbi, AMUS president Nasrin Sayed and IOM country representative Shahidul Huq, among others, spoke at the function.
The cross-country campaign aims to foster a united effort to fight social evils like women and children trafficking, acid attack and dowry, and to help the victims.
Addressing the function, the prime minister said one-stop crisis centres would be set up in all divisional city hospitals for treatment and legal aid of repressed women.
She hoped the partnership between government, NGOs, development partners and the people to create public awareness about women rights would continue and further strengthen.
Referring to her government's various policies, steps, programmes and special facilities, she said: "Now we have traversed a long way in protecting women's rights and ensuring their development, welfare and empowerment."
Now women of the country are not confined to the cage, she said while referring to a research report titled 'Birds in the Cage' on women's situation in Bangladesh.
Khaleda Zia however said women still continued to be victims of discrimination and repression despite government's multifaceted efforts including implementation of various resolutions of international and regional forums and enforcement of tough laws to prevent repression on women.
So, much more remained to be done still for women's advancement, the prime minister said.
US Ambassador Mary Ann Peters said the presence of the prime minister in the event signalled a "strong commitment of the government of Bangladesh to raising the status of women".
She appreciated a number of achievements regarding promo-
tion of the status of girls and women and "in tapping a valuable and growing resource in the country's 21st-century push for development".
She lauded the successes that include micro-credits, girls' participation in primary schooling, women's jobs and commitment to combat women and children trafficking.
Pointing out statistics of antitrafficking convictions in Bangladesh, Peters said that in 2000 there were zero convictions for the crime. But the number rose to 3 convictions in 2001 and 29 in 2002 with the hard work of lawenforcement officials and support from NGOs.
Though the number is small, but this is "a record in South Asia", the US diplomat observed.
She also appreciated a consensus reached by the government, NGOs and donors on using one logo, one message and one set of materials for all anti-trafficking initiatives -- first such in South Asia.