On Sunday, 29 June 2025, at 3:30 PM, Bangladesh Mahila Parishad organized a discussion titled “Environmental and Climate Crisis: Women’s Challenges and Struggles” at the central office’s Anwara Begum Munira Khan Auditorium, marking World Environment Day.
The event was presided over by Dr. Fawzia Moslem, President of Bangladesh Mahila Parishad, while Maleka Banu, the General Secretary, delivered the welcome address. Dr. Nabonita Islam, Associate Professor of Architecture at North South University and member of the Parishad’s Environment Sub-Committee, presented findings on environmental crises collected from 35 district branches of the organization.
Pavel Parth, Director of the Bangladesh Resource Center for Indigenous Knowledge, researcher, environmentalist, and activist, attended as the keynote speaker. Special guests included Golam Iftikhar Mahmud, Adjunct Faculty at Jahangirnagar University’s Journalism and Media Studies Department and Editor-in-Chief of Dhaka Stream, and Amirul Rajib, Coordinator of the Bangladesh Tree Conservation Movement.
Dr. Nabonita Islam highlighted that women bear the brunt of environmental disasters, both directly and indirectly. The crisis varies across districts:
Barisal and Khulna report higher rates of domestic violence against women in disaster-prone areas, while Sylhet shows lower rates.
Patuakhali’s shelters lack separate toilets for women, increasing sexual violence and divorce rates.
Khulna faces rising divorces and polygamy due to water salinity crises.
Solutions include increasing tree plantation, banning illegal sand mining, promoting organic farming, and implementing region-specific measures for saline-prone areas.
Pavel Parth emphasized that women have historically led environmental movements, citing Khana, who challenged patriarchal dominance over nature. He stressed:
“Without gender justice, climate justice is impossible.”Women and the environment are interconnected; separating them diminishes both. Structural inequalities worsen women’s burdens amid climate crises, requiring collective action and unified political efforts.
Golam Iftikhar Mahmud criticized powerful elites for grabbing rivers and displacing communities, particularly women, under the guise of so-called development that harms the environment.
Amirul Rajib condemned rampant tree-cutting and pollution, urging grassroots engagement to challenge male dominance in environmental destruction.
Open Discussion & Closing Remarks:
Participants from UNICEF, Disable Welfare Society, Green Force, and other NGOs joined the open discussion.
Dr. Fawzia Moslem linked women’s vulnerability with environmental degradation, calling for legal reforms and united efforts to combat structural challenges.
Maleka Banu noted that while women have long protected nature, they now face rising poverty, health risks, and insecurity due to environmental collapse. She stressed that women’s movements and environmental activism must advance together.
The event, moderated by Parveen Islam, Secretary of the Environment Sub-Committee, was attended by 150+ participants, including NGO representatives, journalists, and activists.
