On April 28, 2025, at 11:20 AM, the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) organized a press conference at the Zahur Hossain Chowdhury Auditorium, National Press Club. The event focused on assessing the current state of women’s human rights in Bangladesh and the organization’s perspective on these issues.
The conference was moderated by Dr. Fauzia Moslem, President of the organization, while Rabeya Khatun, the Movement Secretary, presented the statement on Behalf of the organization. During the session, questions from journalists were addressed by General Secretary Maleka Banu, Joint General Secretaries Shima Moslem and Advocate Masuda Rehana Begum, and Movement Secretary Rabeya Khatun Shanti. The session’s conduct was overseen by Jana Goswami, Advocacy and Networking Director.
In the statement, BMP highlighted that while women’s participation across various sectors is evident, they still face inequities in rights, dignity, and representation despite constituting half the population. Although women’s contributions have mitigated economic disparities, entrenched negative perceptions persist, leading to human rights violations such as domestic violence, sexual assault, harassment, dowry and child marriage. The organization advocated for changing societal negative attitudes towards women and proposed measures to safeguard women’s human rights. These measures include stringent actions against misogynistic narratives, justice for violence against women, initiatives to curb mob violence, reforms for educational discipline, protection of press freedom for accurate reporting, opposition to religious fundamentalism and communal strife, and efforts to foster a discriminatory-free society and state.
Dr. Fauzia Moslem emphasized that eradicating violence against women requires collective action from both the state and society and is not merely a women’s issue. Addressing long-standing discriminatory practices is crucial to counter misogynistic behavior. She noted that women today, compared to 55 years ago, are more aware of their rights and prepared to tackle challenges. The commitment to achieving SDG Goal 5 on gender equality is paramount for any state. The organization aims to collaborate with the nation’s citizens to resist any creation of a misogynistic society.
General Secretary Maleka Banu emphasized about the importance of enacting a unified family law and enhancing women’s political participation with at least one-third of parliamentary seats reserved for women’s direct election. She urged the government to ratify the CEDAW convention and reform discriminatory family laws to establish equality. She called for state action against entities hindering equality policies. Other speakers discussed the organization’s support services for violence victims, including counseling, medical, and legal aid, as well as public awareness campaigns to foster social movements. They highlighted the prevalence of child marriage in both impoverished and middle-class families, advocating for budgetary allocations and stringent enforcement of laws with monitoring committees.
