WUNRN
The Hunger Project
BANGLADESH - 1200 GRASSROOTS WOMEN
LEADERS
CELEBRATE GOOD PRACTICES, SOCIAL
ACHIEVEMENTS
In May 2010,
more than 1,200 women leaders from across
The women
placed such importance on the meeting that they paid their own travel costs to
attend the convention. They even paid their own registration fees.
At the
convention, the women leaders shared their achievements:
·
Last year, they stopped 645 early marriages and 533 dowries.
·
So far, they have created 1,502 local organizations (self-help
groups).
·
A total of 41,634 women are members of these organizations and
many of them are now self-reliant.
·
They have led initiatives to test 13,357 tube wells for arsenic.
·
They constructed sanitary latrines for 7,445 families.
·
They have declared seven unions (local administrative unit) free
from dowry and early marriage and three unions free from domestic violence.
Guests
included: Chief Guest, Dr. Shireen Sharmin, State Minister for Child and Women
Affairs Ministry; Special Guest, Rokeya Sultana, Secretary, Cooperative and
Rural Development Ministry; Salma Khan, Chair Person of a renowned women's
organization named Women for Women; and Chair of the event, Sultana Kamal,
Former Advisor, Care Taker Government of Bangladesh.
Dr. Badiul
Alam Majumdar, Vice President and Country Director of THP-Bangladesh,
explaining the context and purpose of the women's convention, said,
"Members of the Unleashed Women Network became 'women leaders' through organizing
activities, solving social problems and taking on responsibility. The title
‘women leader' is not given to them to show sympathy - they earned it."
Women leaders
celebrated their achievements and displayed their activities throughout the
fun-filled day. The event was also widely reported in the media.