STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The government is failing to ensure women’s safety, said National Citizen Party leaders at a rally marking the International Women’s Day yesterday.

“Do not make us lose restraint. Safety must be ensured through the rule of law, not through questionable laws,” said Samanta Shermeen, senior joint convener of the party.

“Women’s safety is directly tied to citizens’ security. In the last 53 years, no real effort has been made to ensure the citizens’ dignity and safety,” she added at the event held in front of the National Museum.

Women played a significant role at every stage of the uprising. But their contributions are being downplayed, she said.

Sarjis Alam, chief organiser (northern region), said the government was failing to ensure the safety of “our mothers and sisters”.

“During the mass uprising, we saw women leading every procession. A hundred women standing at the front gave us more courage than the thousands of men standing behind them,” he said.

He urged people not to assume that women can be used when needed and defamed when not needed.

“When our sisters took to the streets [in July], everyone supported them. But now, as they enter politics, they are being subjected to slander. Our party wants to see the women at the forefront of policy making, just like the way they led the anti-fascist movement.

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