Different government and non-government institutions and rights organisations observed the day across the country through different progra-mmes, including processions, rallies and cultural events.

The women and children affairs ministry organised a discussion and Joyeeta Award-giving ceremony in the city to mark the day, United News of Bangladesh reported.

Attending the discussion, prime minister Sheikh Hasina asked the women to build the country, contributing to the society equally alongside their male counterparts.

‘Today, if we have to progress economically, and men and women can build a country equally with their work,’ she said.

The PM distributed ‘Best Joyeeta Award-2023’ at the national level to five women as recognition of their outstanding successes in different fields by overcoming difficulties and challenges.

New Age DU correspondent reported that Samajik Protirodh Committee, a platform of 67 women’s rights and development organisations, held a rally and cultural programme titled ‘Change discriminatory family law, increase allocation to remove barriers to women’s advancement’ on Dhaka University’s Soparjito Swadhinota premises.

Samajtantrik Mahila Forum held a rally and cultural programme at Jatiya Shaheed Minar titled ‘Strengthen the struggle to establish women’s dignity and equal rights, stand against exploitation and oppression’.

National Women Domestic Workers’ Union held a procession in front of National Press Club in the capital, demanding the arrest and trial of the people, involved in the killing of domestic workers Preeti Urang and Anwara, said a press release.

Protesters also demanded to formulate a law for the protection of domestic workers and said that domestic workers in Bangladesh were the most neglected, abused and oppressed.

Another press release said that Karmojibi Nari, an initiative for working women, held a rally titled ‘Eliminate all forms of discrimination against women, ensure a suitable environment for women workers to engage in work’, in front of National Press Club.

Bangladesh Jatiya Ganotantrik League and Bangladesh Janata Sangskritik Parishad held a rally at Press Club to observe the day.

The Asian Federation against Involuntary Disappearances, Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development, International Federation for Human Rights, Maayer Daak, and Odhikar published a joint statement on the occasion of the day.

The statement read that Bangladesh needed a democratic system, a robust judiciary and withdrawal of the ‘Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women’ reservations to protect the rights of women and girls, and must.

Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust held various programmes on the occasion of the day with the demand to ensure women’s empowerment by changing discriminatory laws.

Hill Women’s Federation in a press release said that it held various programmes in Chattogram to mark its 36^th anniversary and International Women’s Day and called for to unite against violence against women in the hills and plain land.

New Age correspondent in Munshiganj reported that a colourful procession took place in the district with the slogan ‘Say no to child marriage, and stop violence against women’.

New Age

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