Desk Report: Speakers at a meeting here on Wednesday underscored the need for enhancing women’s empowerment at grass root level to take the country’s development ahead.

Ensuring increase of women participation in local government bodies, promoting gender based justice in the societies, raising awareness amongst the neglected and abused women and strengthening capacity of women’s leaders for their development is very vital, they said.

An inception meeting was held at the conference room of Barkal upazila parished on Wednesday. Progressive, a local non-government organisation (NGO), organised the meeting.

SM Monjurul Haque, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Barkal upazila was the chief guest while Sucharita Chakma, executive director of Progressive, presided the meeting.

Vice chairman of Barkal Upazila Parishad Sucharita Chakma, Tarun Jyoti Chakma, chairman of Subalang union parishad, Amar Kumar Chakma, chairman of Aimachhara union parishad and traditional leader (headmen and karbaries), were attended as guests.

In his speech, SM Manjurul Haque said NGOs must be played their conducive roles alongside the government for the sake of accelerating the overall country’s development for the betterment of the mass people. It’s not possible for the government alone to ensure hundred percent upliftment in the country, said UNO.

He further said the aims and objectives of all the NGOs must similar to the government and it will be very helpful for our government in achieving of targeted goals in the days ahead.

Monjurul also said that undertaking development initiatives for empowerment of women is truly commendable.

He assured that his administration will provide all possible cooperation to the NGOs.

On the other hand, the traditional leaders (headmen and karbaries) and elected representatives said that the initiative taken by the progressive NGO at the upazila level is a great initiative. They pledged for extending their full support to smoothly run such a development work by the Progressive.

Speaking on the occasion, Sucharita Chakma said that new initiatives have been taken to accelerate women’s empowerment in some upazilas in the district including Kaptai, Jurachhari and Barkal upazilas.

Progressive has taken this new initiative to promote gender based justice in the society, increase the capacity and development of women leaders, increase women’s participation in local government institutions and raise awareness of neglected and abused women, she continued.

Besides, sewing training programme will be introduced in coordination with the Upazila Women’s Affairs Department for the empowerment of the women. Arrangements will be made to distribute sewing machines among the skilled trainees at the end of the training.

She sought sincere cooperation from all the grassroots level leaders for the interest of executing her project smoothly.

Coordinator of Women in Power Project Tanni Dewan, admin officer Gorky Chakma, project officer Stina Chakma, IT officer Uttaran Chakma, Coordinator of Hour Live Hour Health, Rangamati district, Subrata Khisa, Field Officer of Hour Future Project Jonaki Chakma were also present in the programme.