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“Special allocation for women in national budget is tough”

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February 25, 2001 

Dhaka-- (UNB) – As women-rights promoters demanded separate budgetary sanction for the folk, Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria yesterday said making special allocation for women in the national budget is a tough task.

“It’s not an easy task and needs to be examined thoroughly,” he said apparently rejecting the demand for separate budgetary allocation for womenfolk.

The demand was made at a pre-budget seminar on “Allocation for Women in the National Budget” in the CIRDAP conference room, jointly organised by Bangladesh Nari Progoti Sangha (BNPS) and Bangladesh Freedom Foundation.

Chaired by BNPS chairperson Rokeya Kabir, the seminar was also addressed by academics, economists and experts while Dr Protima Paul-Majumdar presented the keynote paper.

In the keynote it was opined that the issue of women development should get prominence in the budget and needs separate allocation to bring an end to gender discrimination.

“It however is not a separate one from the national budget,” the paper said.

Kibria said women were not marginalised in the budgets. However, they might not be getting the benefits of the budget due to discrimination.

“We need to examine how we can reach the benefit to women,” he told the promoters of women interests.

The minister apprised the meeting that the reserved seats for women in the Parliament would be cancelled soon as the provision expires in April because it could not be extended.

“The law could not be renewed as BNP would not join Parliament.” Extension of the provision requires support of two-thirds majority in the house, he said.

Addressing the function, eminent economist Dr Binayak Sen said women are now considered to be the receiver of any grants or assistance of a project.

“There should be projects directly for women,” he said pinpointing health, safety and other related issues for total empowerment.

Dr Atiur Rahman proposed reduced rate of interest on loan for women entrepreneurs and special consideration for them in recruitment and promotion process.

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