On December 22, at 4:00 pm, the closing ceremony of the twelfth online certificate course on gender, women’s empowerment and development was held by the initiative of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) to “Enlightened women about the gender role, unequal treatment, women empowerment and development”.
The ceremony was presided over by the president of the organization, Dr. Fauzia Moslem.
A total of seventy two people were present at the ceremony, including the organization’s central and Dhaka metropolitan committee leaders, course director, professor of University, teachers, students, musician Biplobi karmokar, district education officer, Oxfam project officer, finance manager of USFS and prominent figure and writer Dr. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal.
The program was conducted by Rina Ahmed Secretary-Training Research and Library Sub-Committee, Central Committee, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP).
Course Director Shima Moslem in her welcoming speech mentioned throughout a decade of long journey from 2011, she felt the certificate course was a success. Though there is inequality among women and men due to subordinate attitude, she hoped this course will be a source to establish equality between men and women by performing responsibilities in their respective fields.
Maleka Banu, General Secretary of the organization, said in the program, “The purpose of the course is to energize the women’s movement by connecting women’s movement activists with theoretical and academicals knowledge on one hand.” On the other hand, increasing the dimension of women’s movement to a larger scale and spreading gender awareness may help to understand the role and responsibilities of men and women in the society.
Professor Dr. Ainoon Nahar, department of Anthropology, Jahangirnagar Unversity believed that the course significantly plays a role in establishing women empowerment by incorporating new issues while eliminating gender disparity and various existing inequalities in the society.
Some other speakers emphasizes that the gender course should be spread more widely. The course should be introduced not only for universities but also for all educational sector including schools and colleges. The classes of the course were very informative and lively. The course must be introduced among other districts to fulfill the purpose of the course.
The chief guest, eminent writer and professor Dr. Muhammad Zafar Iqbal, said in his speech, the attention on gender and the issue of gender equality is very positive as People still don’t know about this. Since more people will taught though formal course, the less will be discrimination.
Dr. Fauzia Moslem, the president of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP), said that after the training the real education begins. In every aspect of women’s life there is oppression and discrimination. We have to work on here. Instead of a patriarchal view, egalitarian view should be promoted. Even though the constitution assures equal rights to all, still women are deprived from both family and personal rights.
The closing ceremony concluded with awards being given to 55 students. Shahzadi Shamima Afzali, Member, Central Training, Research and Library Sub-Committee, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) and Saleha Banu, Member, Central Training, Research and Library Sub-Committee, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) announced the results of the students in the closing ceremony.
