STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The mode and nature of discrimination against women may have changed, but the discrimination itself persists in the country, said speakers at an event yesterday.

Rasheda K Chowdhury, executive director of Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE), said, “I want to tell the government, which came to power through a movement against discrimination, that the type and nature of discrimination against women have evolved, and it has not disappeared. We have not yet succeeded in eliminating the disparity between men and women.”

She made these remarks at an event titled “Women’s Empowerment: Celebrating the Success of the Women’s Voice and Leadership Bangladesh Project,” held at a hotel in the capital.

The event was organised to highlight the transformative impact of the WVL project, funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by the Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF).

Rasheda, former adviser to a caretaker government, pointed out the differences between urban and rural women and between lower and upper-middle-income working women, emphasising the need to eliminate these disparities.

“It has been said that women are now empowered. In reality, we see women’s participation, but where is their stake? Empowerment and participation are not the same… True empowerment has not been ensured, and while discrimination may have slightly decreased, it persists,” she said.

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