Statement of Bangladesh

“It is indeed hard to bear all these cruelties as a mother. Won't these happenings stir the world conscience?”

“I firmly believe that without women's participation, sustainable development would simply not be tenable. A host of measures, including promoting girls' education, undertaken half a decade ago started yielding dividends.

Women in Bangladesh are now increasingly becoming an integral part of our development endeavours. Around 3.5 million women are now working in the garments industry, the leading export earning sector. The percentage of women in all professions is rapidly rising. Bangladesh is perhaps the only country in the world today that has a woman Prime Minister and Leader of the House, Leader of the Opposition, Speaker and Deputy Leader of the House. Presently, we have 70 women Members of Parliament constituting 20% of the House. Over 12,500 elected women representatives are serving in the local government bodies.”