To celebrate and move forward with the UN Women’s theme of this year’s International Women Day: “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030 (bvix cyiæl mgZvq Dbœq‡bi hvÎv…..e`‡j hv‡e wek¦, K‡g© bZyb gvÎv) ”, the USAID Agricultural Extension Support Activity Project like previous years observed the International Women’s Day on March 8, 2017 in its different project areas.

Different activities such as rallies, human chain (manab bandhan), and discussion sessions were arranged at different union and upazila levels of project’s working districts to commemorate the day.

Representatives of different government offices including honorable member of the parliament (MP), Upazila and Union Parishad Chairmen and Vice Chairmen, Department of Women Affairs, Department of Youth and Development, project field staff and other NGO representatives, FPG members, farmer leaders and different extension agents and especially the female representatives of different sectors were present at these events.

Both the public and private sector’s representatives discussed the significance of the day and discussed about the roles and responsibilities of the Government and private sector to support women to exercise their choices to participate in economy and income generating activities, education, politics and decision making activities.

The guests acknowledged the roles and contributions of women to the rural agriculture, economy, technology and medical science. They also appreciated and acknowledged women’s roles in poverty eradication and food security issues. They put special emphasis on women empowerment and nutritional issues of rural women’s health. Lastly they all wished that the women of Bangladesh can move forward and live in a non-discriminatory and violence free society.