Women’s skills, family support, says state minister
State Minister for Primary and Mass Education Bobby Hajjaj has said apart from vocational training or job creation, personal self-confidence, communication skills, self-awareness and a positive change in family and social attitudes are required for sustainable empowerment of women.
He made the remarks while speaking as the chief guest at an event titled ‘Her Skills, Her Future’, jointly organised by Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and UNICEF at a city hotel in Banani area here today.
In his speech, Bobby Hajjaj said given the social reality of Bangladesh, a woman cannot be viewed in isolation from her family.
“Especially, while empowering women from rural and marginalised communities, action plans must be adopted that actively involve the family. Working with the family will pave a smoother way for women to achieve economic emancipation,” he said.
Highlighting the multifaceted nature of women’s empowerment, Bobby Hajjaj said integrated programmes must be formulated by addressing personal, educational, and economic empowerment distinctly.
He noted that before making a woman economically self-reliant, it is essential to grow her sense of rights and decision-making capabilities.
In addition, the state minister put special emphasis on communication skills to help women showcase product quality and establish themselves as entrepreneurs.
Regarding the prevention of child marriage, he observed that there is a tendency to marry off girls at an early age due to social pressure and economic uncertainty within families.
To address this reality, Bobby Hajjaj said, efforts must be made to change mindsets by expanding opportunities for girls’ education, skill development, and economic self-reliance.
Presided over by Deepa Sankar, Chief of Education at UNICEF Bangladesh, the event was addressed by Gillian Mellsop, Interim Representative of UNICEF Bangladesh, and Jihoon Kim, Country Director of KOICA Bangladesh.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education and the Bureau of Non-Formal Education, along with representatives from development partners participate in the event.
