Mainstream integrity and corruption prevention to ensure gender equality and women’s rights: TIB on Int’l Women’s Day

TI Bangladesh considers corruption as one of the main impediments to establish women’s rights, and to control it effectively, the anti-graft watchdog calls upon the government to mainstream corruption prevention and integrity at all levels of state operation. TIB also urges to formulate specific roadmap/action plan to achieve sustainable development goals with particular importance to goal 5 and 16 to reduce corruption as the prerequisite of ending violence and torture against women.

The calls were made in a 10-point demands placed by TI Bangladesh for the consideration at the policy-making level of the government marking International Women's Day (IWD) 2020. TI Bangladesh celebrates the IWD each year with utmost importance as it believes that both the women rights movement and the anti-corruption movement are interlinked, and it is not possible to achieve the sustainable development goals and ensure good governance without involving women. This year, TI Bangladesh is celebrating International Women's Day 2020 with the theme: 'Sustainable Development Goals, Good Governance, Equality and Women'.  

To mark the day, TI Bangladesh has chalked out a series of programmes to be organized across the country at both national and local level. The diversified events include human chains/rallies, street theatres, seminar, workshops, discussion meetings, cultural programmes. 

As part of the celebration, TI Bangladesh organized a day-long workshop with women government officials on 5 March at its Dhaka office to discuss the status and role of women in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring good governance. 24 female Upazila Nirbahi Officers (UNO) from all the 8 administrative divisions of the country took part in the event with the approval and assistance of the Cabinet Division of the Government of Bangladesh. 

The main purpose of the workshop was to strengthen the capacity of the government officials through interactive discussion and encourage female government officials to play an effective role in ensuring good governance through implementing the gender-related goal 5 and good governance related goal 16 of SDGs.

At the workshop, Professor Dr. Sumaiya Khair, Adviser-Executive Management, TIB said, there is no substitute to apply a gender perspective to achieve sustainable development goals with increased women’s participation in the decision-making process and women empowerment. TIB attempts to integrate a gender perspective in all of its activities and hopes, if applied, such an approach would accelerate the government’s programmes to achieve SDGs more efficiently, added Dr. Khair.   

Noted human rights activist Advocate U. M. Habibun Nessa facilitated an open interactive session on ‘Inclusive strategy in ensuring sustainable development: no one will be left behind’. The female officials participated in group activities on ‘Good governance in women rights and empowerment process: Recommendation for Upazila level’ and later presented their findings.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman made a presentation on ‘Sustainable Development, good governance, equality and women’ which covered a range of issues from women empowerment and equal rights guaranteed in the constitution of Bangladesh, the impact of lack of good governance on women, the way forward based on sustainable development, good governance and women.   

At the concluding session, Dr Iftekharuzzaman handed over certificates among the participants. Dr Zaman called upon the female officials to carry out their crucial role in implementing government development programmes and ensuring public services delivery. He hoped that the workshop would help the participants in integrating a gender-sensitive approach at their activities. 

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