Gender equality for Development

"Trisha" is a student of the Marketing department at DU. As my classmate I know her well, an extraordinarily brilliant and charming girl with enormous energy, generosity, and confidence. She has a dream to be a politician to serve the country in broader context. But her father confined her to be a teacher of a primary school because a girl should not do manly job. She wants to marry a man of her choice but her father has selected a high profile boy as her escort for her whole life. She likes adventure but her escort dislikes it. Now she is feeling depressed and our highly enthusiastic and charming Trisha is becoming depressed day after day. Trisha is a single representative of the highly deprived female gender in this world of men. We know development is a fruit of combined effort and this fruit cannot be achieved by placing a large segment of work-force in side-bench. Unfortunately we are doing so. The main setback to the road to development is the participation gap. Without ensuring equal participation of women economic emancipation will remain an unattainable dream. So it is clear that participation of women is equally necessary in all sectors and it is a core demand for development.

Although we are talking more and arranging uncountable seminars on women right, our progress is very insignificant. Pathetically a number of our male folks today possess a negative mentality about equal right of women. 

Moreover, putting all of our efforts in vain, pathetic show of gender discrimination from family to state is going on. Teasing, physical and mental torture, sexual harassment and all other unscrupulous behavior with my sister is increasing alarmingly. There are many tangible factors and intangible forces behind this stagnation. Government is tampering with tendering process, different educational institutions are showing indifference to stop this illegal practice. Though they are talking about exciting steps but results are highly depressing.

To translate the dream of equality into reality some effective and efficient steps should be taken by all important partners of society. A paradigm shift of state, a breakthrough in the structured mentality of society and a conceptual clarity is highly needed. Considering all aspects, like all other societal partners youth also has responsibility to perform. They can firstly change their mental frame-work about gender equality; can promote this thinking through their active participation. They can raise their voice against all inhuman and discriminatory behavior against women.

Development is a long cherished dream in our national life. Gender equality with equal opportunity and participation in all stages of state and society should be ensured fully for the sake of development. And to ensure this equality youth must play their expected role because the best days start when everyone comes together.

P.S.-This article first published in The Star Campus- the Sunday Weekly of The daily Star. Here published by author.