Meeting on concerning the women and children's rights as declared in the menifesto of the political parties for the upcoming NINTH PARLIAMENTARIAN ELECTION

A meeting was executed on 24^th December 2008 at 3 ‘O’ clock at evening at Reporters’ Unity Milonaioton with initiative of Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association on implementation of all women and children including handicap population’s right in elected circular notice of various political parties in ninth national parliament election and by claiming some recommendations towards elected future democratic Government.

On the meeting, the following recommendations were raised and offered towards Elected Government on behalf of the Association in the election executed on 29^th December 2008.

-  Filling up 33% seat for taking and ensuring decision of women through political parties in all sectors and the direct election of parliament.

-  Drawing up Domestic Violence Prevention Act.

-  Ensuring effective measure in preventing trafficking of women and children and safe migration.

-  Change and improvement of the situation of sexual harassment.

-  Ensuring equal power of women parliament and enforcing the effectiveness of steering committee of parliament regarding development of women.

-  Preventing all discriminations, including the reasons of drop out of female student such as eve tease, child marriage.

-  The inclusion of national law for the purpose of re-confirmation and implementation of CEDAW deed of grant.

-  Banning of using religion as political instrument.

-  Taking initiative to form commission, concerning women.

-  Banning of Fatwa in improvement status of women and the implementation of the rule of High Court.

-  To implement the right of handicap population, the implementation of existing law and authorization of new law if requires.

-  Ensuring role as responsible opposition party.

- Taking effective measure in attainment of human rights, irrespective of overall opinionated parties, nations, religion, colored women, men.

The president of the Association Advocate Fawzia Karim Firoz leads the meeting and Executive Director, Advocate Salma Ali initiated the meeting, highlighting recommendation. She claimed the confirmation the explanation of the parliament to the people, highlighting detail plan, regarding association’s future activities to people.

The decision that Association took through conference is that within 100 days of the taking over power by next elected Government, the Association will share their views with Government and opposition party and will work on implementation of the activities on which measure has to be taken, concerning women and children and observing the measure.

At meeting on behalf of B.P.K.S, Ashrafon Nahar Misti and on behalf of Nadpor, Shirin Akhtar presented speech. Apart from that, population from various classes and occupations highlighted their opinion, including the representatives of various NGOs, lawyers, the university students of various departments.  

The International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women was observed throughout the country yesterday. Realizing the urgency of empowering women to combat violence against them, Bangladesh National Woman Lawyers’ Association (BNWLA) organized a parliamentarian form of debate competition on the topic "Political Compulsion is more Important than Social Empowerment for the Empowerment of Women." Members of Dhaka University Debating Society (DUDS) competed at the competition. The debate competition took place at the Auditorium of Institute of Modern Languages, University of Dhaka. 

Debaters presented strong arguments in favor and opposition of the topic. Mahbuba Nasrin, Professor of Sociology department of Dhaka University, Khaleda Akter Rosy, Researcher of Centre of Policy Dialogue (CPD), Debasish Kundo Kakon, lecturer of Women and Gender Studies, Jagannath University were present there as distinguished Panelists. Eminent journalist Baby Moudud graced the occasion as special guest.

Human Rights

A Congress Against Sexual Exploitation of Children

Raffat Binte Rashid

Photo: Zahedul I Khan

Commercial sexual exploitation is a complicated issue to deal with and when children and adolescents get involved it becomes a grimmer story. It is not easy to imagine a nine-year-old being solicited by an adult to entertain him in exchange of hard cash. No matter how repulsive this thought is, we have to face the fact that children are being used for commercial sex in Bangladesh and the world at large. It is a reality that needs to be first acknowledged by the respective societies before steps can be taken to combat this deplorable crime.

Much has been done in this sector and Bangladesh is no stranger to the process and has active participation in the drive. Preparing for the upcoming World Congress III against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, which will take place from 25 to 28, November in Rio Centro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the government of Bangladesh is currently going through the preliminaries ahead of its participation at the world congress. More than three thousand people from five continents, 300 of them adolescents, are planning to attend the third congress.

The opening theme of the Congress will be “Guarantee of the Rights of Children and Adolescents and their Protection against Sexual Exploitation For a Systemic Approach”. Throughout the three days of the event, there will be workshops, discussions and five panels Forms of Commercial Sexual Exploitation and its new scenarios; Legal Framework and Accountability; Integrated Cross-sector Policies; Initiatives of Social Responsibility; and Strategies for International Cooperation. Apart from its articulating character and its capacity to gather knowledge on the subject, the event hopes to discover viable strategies for fighting the sexual exploitation of children and adolescents.

Coming back to the Bangladeshi context, the facts and figures of a rapid assessment report prepared by Unicef are appalling. Boys and girls in Bangladesh are vulnerable to both Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) and Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC). It has been found that although girls can be exposed to organised CSEC in the rural set-up, the boys are sexually exploited on a commercial basis almost exclusively in urban settings. Generally, poorer children are exposed to sexual exploitation, especially during times of family disintegration. The risks for children without parental care are high, and those who are not cared for in an appropriate alternative setting are just as likely to be entrapped into commercial exploitation. Disabled children who live in institutions, refugee children, children of sex workers, orphans and other ostracised groups are especially vulnerable.

“The prevalence is high no doubt. I can say that the government is taking care of the issue of CSEC along with other crimes. Under the umbrella and cooperation of the government, several NGOs are working to improve the situation. The Home Ministry is mostly working against trafficking. As a separate issue, CSEC is going to get more priority once the NPA is finalised,” comments Dr.Nomita Halder, Project Director (Deputy Secretary) Empowerment and Protection of Children Project, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs.

Bangladesh Women Lawyers' Association (BNWLA) is playing an active role in the entire process. Advocate Salma Ali, Director of BNWLA, is extremely passionate regarding the legal reforms in the sector. Speaking at a National Consultation Meeting on CSEC and review of the National Action Plan at the Department of Social Services, Agargaon, on November 5, she highlighted a relevant point; the need for a child-friendly support service during legal process. She also stressed the need for protecting the rights of the victim, keeping in mind the issues of privacy and dignity and the need for a child friendly court, where no one will be in uniform so that the victim is not intimidated and feels comfortable about talking. Ali also pointed out the importance of extradition treaties with neighbouring countries. She specifically reminded the police to understand the difference between a raid and a rescue mission. In all the issues that need to be addressed the angle of child-friendly legal procedures in dealing with victims was emphasised, both in the legal and the security services and legal reform, court overload relief new paradigms and restorative justice.

UNICEF highlighted on the five important issues of National Plan of Priority Action, January 2009 - June 2010. It stressed that during the next 18 months these five goals can be achieved by the government. The issues are as follows:

Prevention- Children and community members will be aware about CSEC, get proper information on how to adopt protective behaviour and care. Professionals, social workers, police, lawyer, will be trained as active agents of preventing commercial sexual exploitation of children and related violence.

Protection- The legal fA

The Daily Star- Star Magazine, 14.11.08