'Smart Bangladesh aims to achieve technology-driven equal society for women and girls'

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina recently launched a campaign called Smart Bangladesh which targets to bring equality in women's participation in ICT to support the transition of Bangladesh to a developed country by 2041.

Women and Children Affairs State Minister Fazilatun Nessa Indira said this while speaking at the general debate of the ongoing 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) at the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations Headquarters.

Reiterating the commitment of Bangladesh to CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action, the state minister said under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Bangladesh government has undertaken several signature initiatives to empower women, such as the establishment of 5,000 digital centres at the grassroots level, establishment of science and technology universities in major districts, technical and vocational institutes across the country, introduction of women-led agent network SATHI to facilitate digital financial services for marginalised women.

These projects have helped Bangladesh make remarkable progress towards the economic and political empowerment of women, Fazilatun Nessa said.

Sheikh Hasina had been accorded with Global Women's Leadership Award, Planet 50-50 Champion and Agent of Change Award for her contribution to the empowerment of women in Bangladesh, she added.

Underscoring the need to identify the key barriers to technological innovation and education to achieve gender equality and women empowerment, the state minister called for enhanced capacity building and technology transfer to bridge the digital gender divide.

She also called for greater international cooperation to ensure gender equality in ICT.

Before the general debate, Fazilatun Nessa Indira had a bilateral meeting with Rina Amiri, the US special envoy for Afghan women, girls, and human rights.

 She also attended a reception organised by the Permanent Mission of Saudi Arabia for the visiting OIC delegations to New York.