Saying that half of the coun peple are women and they have been playing a significant role in the country’s development, women leaders at a press conference urged the government to allocate more in the upcoming national budget to enhance the lifestyles of the marginal women and their empowerment.

They said that the government should provide at least seven per cent of development allocation in 2010-2011 fiscal for women for proper implementation of the national women development policy and national work policy.

Jointly organised by Bangladesh Nari Progati Sanga (BNPS) and Institute for Environment and Development (IED), the press conference was held at the National Press Club in the city.

BNPS deputy director Shahnaz Sumi read out a written statement at the
conference while it was attended, among others, by executive director of BNPS Rokeya Kabir, executive director of IED Noman Ahmed Khan, researcher Dr Pratima Pal Majumder and programme director of BRAC Shipa Hafiz.

The press conference was told that the women entrepreneurs of the country are not able to implement their initiatives due to capital limitation. So the government should take initiatives to resolve the problems of the women entrepreneurs, it was said.

Describing to the current women’s position in acquiring capital,
Shahnaz Sumi in her written statement stressed the need for taking initiatives to disseminate loans among the women entrepreneurs with simple conditions for sustainable development of the women.

She delivered some recommendations at the conference which are including providing allocation in budget to reduce maternal mortality, reducing gender discrimination and taking some affirmative action in trade and tariff
system for the women entrepreneurs.