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4 City Corporation and Municipality Elections

’Women’s participation negligible at policymaking level’

s i \ff Correspondent
Women participation in August 4 city corporation and municipality elections showed their terminal position in political empowerment once again, said the leaders of Bangladesh Nari Pragati Sangha (BNPS) yesterday.
Observing the recently held city corporation and municipality elections, BNPS found a grim picture of women participation in candidature and election management procedure although their participation as voters was significant.
It is very unfortunate that the presence of the women, who were seen in the forefront in election campaign on behalf of their respective candidates and casting their votes sincerely, is quite negligible in policymaking level, said the speakers at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU) yesterday.
Not a single women candidate competed for the Mayoral posts in four city corporations and nine municipalities on August 4. Very few women contested for the counsellor post in general sears. Even ’ their presence as presiding officer, ■polling1 officer and" polhhg agent was negligible in the election conducting process, said Rokeya Kabir, executive directorof BNPS.
"The women are yet to get the chance to play the role of policymakers in the country's socio-political sphere and they have been showing their potentials only in secondary or supportive works, which is not a good sign in
establishing a social system of justice and equity," she said.
With a view to enhance women's sincere participation in election and in policymaking level, the speakers demanded 33 percent women's representation in the political parties as per the declaration of Election Commission.
The political parties should nominate women candidates to compete for' general seats’ in the election At the same time, duties of the women counsellors should be specified and direct election should be a must in reserve seats for women in the Parliament, they said.
The demands also include giving the women a chance of being election commissioner, presiding officer, polling officer, polling agents etc and their incorporation with
election observation activities. Finally the Election Commission (EC) should collect and preserve gender-disaggregated data of the persons involved in electoral activities.
"The women including the indigenous and minority women must have the representation in policymaking posts," said Dr Ajay Roy, convener of Sampnri Mancha, adding th^t' WanieR 1 Rights Commission should be formed immediately.
Executive Director of Institute of Environment and Development (IED) Numan Ahmed Khan stressed the need for formulation of a regulation by the EC to increase gender sensitivity among the election officers, observers, polling agents, candidates and security forces.