Fight for rights not over, women must move forward with courage: Shireen Haque

Women's rights activist Shireen Parveen Haque, who headed the Women's Affairs Reform Commission formed during the interim government period, has called for making the country's social and state systems more women-friendly to ensure women's rights and safety.

"The struggle to achieve rights and justice is not over yet. In this fight, women themselves must organise and move forward with courage," she said while speaking at a discussion organised by Badabon Sangha at the Chhayanaut auditorium in the capital today (8 March).

Shireen said having legal provisions alone is not enough; women must also develop awareness of their rights. 

According to Shireen, harassment and violence are often normalised in society, which makes it harder for victims to seek justice.

She stressed that the state must ensure women can move safely at any time of the day or night, while also highlighting the need for changes in social attitudes.

Lipi Rahman, executive director of Badabon Sangho, a women's rights and local woman-led organisation, said many women face harassment and trolling online, forcing some to limit their expression. 

Barrister Miti Sanjana, a lawyer at the Supreme Court of Bangladesh, said cyberbullying, sextortion and revenge pornography pose serious risks to women. 

Rowshan Jahan Moni, deputy executive director of the Association for Land Reform and Development, said digital platforms have become important spaces for women's livelihoods and marketing, but harassment and discrimination often hold them back.

Experts, policymakers and stakeholders working on human rights also shared their views at the event.