Agenda for Action

The future of Bangladesh depends on the future of its women. Without a drastic change and intervention in the lives of women, Bangladesh will continue to fall drastically short of its true potential.

This transformation will require support at all levels of society – from government leaders to village people. It will require an intense personal commitment – by women and men – to call into question the roles that society has delineated for them.

Women in Bangladesh will need to find the courage to rise above the subservient, subordinated roles that are dictated to them by society. Men will need to become sensitive to the ways in which they and their society discriminate against and disable women, and to have the courage to change these ways. Together, they must forge a new partnership based on equality, for the future of their families, their communities and the nation.

Ten critical actions that must be taken for Bangladesh to have a new future

1. Women’s Organisations: Women must be organised into self-help groups and community organisations. Women’s organisations are key to enabling women to come out of their homes, identify their common problems, and take joint action for solutions.
2. Income Generation: Women must be provided with resources and skills training which enable them to participate in small enterprise. When women increase their own income, they invest in the well-being of their families.
3. Better Nutrition: Families and communities must ensure women’s equal access to food throughout their lives. Women must have the information they need to make appropriate decisions about nutrition.
4. Basic and Reproductive Health: Women must have access to basic health care at all stages of life—from infancy, to adolescence, to adulthood. In addition, they must have access to reproductive health—including contraception, pre-natal care, and information on child spacing and the harms of early marriage.
5. Violence and Trafficking: Bangladesh must adopt "zero tolerance" of trafficking and violence against women. Men must change their behaviours. Families must treat violence in the household as a criminal act. Police must ensure that women's complaints are heard, respected and acted upon promptly. Government must prosecute each and every case of violence against women to the full extent of the law.
6. Education: Local communities must have the resources and accountability to ensure basic literacy and numeracy for girls and women. When women and girls are educated, this translates into lower population growth, reduced child mortality, lower school dropout rates, and improved family nutrition.
7. Information: Women must have access to clear and accurate information on education, health, sanitation, nutrition, legal rights, and religion versus custom. Women leaders must ensure that this information is communicated orally to women who are illiterate.
8. Freedom of movement: Women do not violate religious teaching by participating outside the home in economic and social activities. Women must have the opportunity to organise together and to participate in educational, health, religious, social and income-generating activities.
9. Shared responsibility for household work: Men and women have equal rights and responsibilities to participate in the community. Therefore, men must share in household and family responsibilities so that women have the opportunity to exercise that right.
10. Participation in local government: Without women's participation in local government, basic issues for a healthy community are not addressed. Communities must commit themselves to overcoming the obstacles to women’s full participation in local government.