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Stand up for yourselves

Parvez Babul
***Gender equality and women's empowerment are human rights that lie at the heart of the development and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. As the United Nations observes, despite the progress that has been made, six out of ten of world's poorest people are still women and girls.***
I congratulate all the women of our country and the world on the 100th year of International Women's Day.
In 1869, British Member of Parliament John Stuart Mill was the first person to call for women's right to vote. On September 19, 1893 New Zealand became the first country in the world to give women the right to vote. Women in other countries did not enjoy this equality and campaigned for justice for many years.
In 1908, great unrest and critical debates were taking place amongst women. Oppression and inequality were spurring women to become more vocal and active in campaigning for change. 15,000 women marched through New York City demanding shorter working hours, better pay and voting rights.
In 1909, according to a declaration by the Socialist Party of America, the first National Women's Day was observed across the United States on February 28. Women continued to celebrate the day on the last Sunday of February until 1913.
In 1910, the second International Conference of Working Women was held in Copenhagen. Clara Zetkin, a leader of the Women's Office of the Social Democratic Party in Germany, tabled the idea of an International Women's Day. She proposed that every year in every country there should be a celebration on the same day — a Women's Day to press for their demands.
In 1911, following the agreement at Copenhagen, International Women's Day was observed for the first time in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on March 19. More than one million women and men attended the rallies campaigning for women's rights to work, vote, be trained, to hold public office and end discrimination. In 1913, International Women's Day was changed to March 8.
United Nations designated 1975 as International Women's Year. Since 2000, International Women's Day has been an official holiday in China, Armenia, Russia, and many other countries. So, why can't the women of Bangladesh have March 8
as a holiday? Logically, it should be a holiday so that more women can participate in the programs of the day to press for their demands and express solidarity with others in the world.
The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid as much as their male counterparts. Women are still not present in equal numbers in business, politics and jobs. Women's education and health, and the violence against them, are worse than before in some countries.
A news item published in The Daily Star on February 26 read: "At least 21 garment workers, including 15 women, died from smoke inhalation in a fire at a sweater factory in Bhogra of Gazipur last night. Majeda, 30, Jarina, 45, Farida, 25, and Mainul, 30, were among the dead. Others could not be identified immediately." I am sorry to say that it's a big shame and our big failure.
We demand answers to the questions: Why this death? What are the reasons? When will we be aware? How will women workers express their problems and to whom?Where is the spirit of International Women's Day, which was planted hundred years ago? If women are not given their rights, they will not be able to raise their voice. And the purpose of International Women's Day will not be gained.
From this year (2010), through celebrating 100 years of International Women's Day, the United Nations should advise its member states to work hard to reach the goals of Millennium Development (MDGs), because goal no. 3, gender equality and women's empowerment, is related to other goals. In addition, developing countries like Bangladesh should set goals for gender equality and women's empowerment for the next five years, keeping in mind the MDGs.
Awareness creation about gender mainstreaming, that is involving women in every part of national development, should be the first and top priority. Our textbooks do not carry enough messages in favour of women so that they can be encouraged to be aware about their
rights.
Gender equality and women's empowerment are human rights that lie at the heart of the development and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. As the United Nations observes, despite the progress that has been made, six out of ten of world's poorest people are still women and girls.
In fact, poor women die many times before their death. They receive less, but have no rights to demand more. They say less, but are bound to listen more. They eat less, but must produce more to feed others. If we analyse the lives of poor women, we are amazed at how they survive. That is why women need to be motivated to stand up for themselves, because without standing up they will not be able to move forward. Women's empowerment is the key to gender mainstreaming. Integrated plans, projects and implementation are must to make the policy of women development and other goals successful.
Shirin Banu Mitil is a freedom fighter and an activist of women's movement. She is hopeful about the condition of women in our country after 40 years of our independence. She said: "Though our achievement in women development is not satisfactory, I am hopeful. Though we still have to go a long way."
Let us make everyday International Women's Day. And come forward to let our girls and women live with happiness, dreams, optimism, brightness, equality, safety, enlightenment and success for a positively changed and better world for all of us. I have closely observed discrimination against girl children and women. And I tried to portray the pictures of those preventable, unfortunate, illogical and illegal discriminations, inequalities, inequities, superstitions, odds and obstacles against girl children and women through my book Women's empowerment, food security and climate change. I have narrated their vulnerabilities and disadvantages to make an equal rights and knowledge-based society for both women and men and work for gender mainstreaming, addressing gender as a cross-cutting issue. I want the women to say, what other people think of you is none of your business, you must go ahead by overcoming the odds and obstacles.
Parvez Babul Is a Journalist.
Email: parvezbabul@yahoo.com