“We will be the generation that will inspire gender equality to the future generations,” Sudipto Mukherjee

The United Nations Bangladesh celebrated International Women’s Day 2020 at Bangabandhu International Conference Center on 5th March, Thursday. Participants from different parts of the country arrived to attend the celebration.

Focusing on this year’s theme ‘I Am Generation Equality’, Sudipto Mukherjee, Resident Representative, UNDP, urged the youth to be ‘that generation’ that will inspire gender equality to the next generations, so that nobody in the future has to suffer from the torments of gender discrimination. “We must change the way we look at girls. Gender equality has always been associated with harmful practices and social norms. They tell you what a woman can do, can’t do, what to wear, when to marry, when to have a child and so on. We must be the generation that will challenge these stereotypes,” he said.

Not only in Bangladesh, but throughout the world, women have never been taken seriously in the world of sports. They were reduced to only being cheerleaders at the corner of the field to cheer for the men in the most skimpy clothes. At this event, a panel discussion brought together women of different ages who are, or have been involved with sports.

Shathira Jakir, a cricketer who has played for the Bangladesh national women’s team, spoke about the importance of support from family members for the empowerment of women in all sectors, including sports. “When my baby was just a few months old, my mother-in-law supported me by taking care of my baby while I was busy with my work.” 

Picture: UN Women Facebook Page