Sharmeen S Murshid calls for global accountability forum at UN Women’s Conference

Bangladesh has called for the establishment of a mandatory, globally accountable forum to accelerate progress on gender equality and women's empowerment.

Sharmeen S Murshid, Adviser to the Ministry of Social Welfare and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, led the Bangladesh delegation at a high-level meeting on 22 September at UN Headquarters in New York, marking the 30th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women. She warned that, at the current pace, achieving SDG-5 by 2030 remains unlikely.

Highlighting progress and persistent setbacks in conflict zones, climate crises and women's economic participation, Murshid said the challenge lies not in vision but in unequal national priorities. She urged the global community to work towards building a "caring civilisation based on conscience and compassion".

She outlined Bangladesh's achievements, including eliminating gender disparity in education, institutionalising gender-responsive budgeting, improving maternal health, raising female labour participation, and securing South Asia's highest score in political empowerment. However, she stressed that social norms, economic inequality and skills gaps continue to hold women back.

Announcing Bangladesh's commitments for 2025–2030, she identified four priorities:

• Safety – introduce a Sexual Harassment Prevention Ordinance and expand nationwide services by 2025.

• Recognition – establish a household satellite account by 2027 to value unpaid care work, estimated at 18.9% of GDP.

• Equality – ensure political parties nominate at least 33% women candidates in national elections.

• Accountability – expand gender-responsive budgeting across all public institutions, focusing on results.

"These four pillars – safety, recognition, equality and accountability – form our agenda for real transformation," she said, adding that no country can succeed alone and calling for a binding global accountability framework.

She reaffirmed Bangladesh's support for advancing the South-Four Care Agenda as a foundation for inclusive development and gender equality, noting the care economy's role in empowering women through decent employment opportunities.

Murshid said Bangladesh is proud to be recognised as an emerging leader in South Asia, citing its initiatives to strengthen caregiving systems through sustainable policies, inter-ministerial coordination and partnerships. She added that training youth and expanding the service sector will be key to ensuring quality jobs and services.

The Bangladesh delegation also included Firoz Uddin Khalifa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs; Dilara Begum, Joint Secretary; and Tarek Mohammad Zakaria, Deputy Secretary.