On July 20, 2023 (Thursday), at 4:00 PM, the inauguration of the 13th batch of the online certificate course on “Gender, Women’s Empowerment, and Development” was organized by the central training, research, and library sub-committee of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP).
The event was chaired by Dr. Fauzia Moslem, the President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP). The welcome speech was delivered by the organization’s General Secretary, Maleka Banu. The course director and Joint General Secretary of the Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, Shima Moslem, also delivered a speech.
The inaugural ceremony of the course was attended by all students, central committee members of the organization, secretaries, and staff.
In her speech, Dr. Fauzia Moslem, the President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, stated that the situation regarding gender-based courses has changed significantly compared to its initial stage. The desired achievements cannot be attained without ensuring women’s participation in the journey of development. This is a significant achievement of the women’s movement. However, the discriminatory mindset towards women still remained among both educated and uneducated individuals. In this situation, she urged the students of the course to utilize the knowledge gained from the course not only for personal gain but also to work together towards ensuring women’s participation, equal opportunities, and desired outcomes for all.
In her welcome statement, the General Secretary of the organization, Maleka Banu, said that the main feature of the course is to challenge the knowledge acquired in the social position of women and men. The course will discuss how gender inequality is created through patriarchy, religion-culture, and the misinterpretation of science, and how feminist activists have addressed the violation of women’s human rights. The Course Director and Joint General Secretary of BMP Shima Moslem said that when analyzing the place of women’s dignity and rights, it is evident that women’s participation is visible in all fields but their share of participation is not. Alongside the work of the movement, this certificate course has been conducted since 2011 with the aim of creating a gender-equitable human resource. Through the participatory process of the course, students will be able to analyze gender from various perspectives.
Classes will be held every Thursday and Saturday from 4.00 pm to 7.00 pm. The course will be conducted by teachers from various departments of Dhaka, Jahangirnagar, and Rajshahi University, as well as by TIB, prominent lawyers, central committee leaders of women’s organizations, and distinguished researchers. Government officials, lawyers, college and university teachers, researchers, and university students will participate in this online certificate course. The course will be completed in 3 months with a total of 48 classes. A total of 42 students will participate in this online certificate course.
The inaugural ceremony was conducted by Rina Ahmed, secretary of the Training, Research, and Library Subcommittee of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad
