EDITORIAL : THE DAILY STAR, BANGLADESH

               

 

Gender-sensitive budgeting

Gender concerns must be addressed at all levels

The Constitution of Bangladesh guarantees women and men equal rights but this is yet to be reflected in the national budget. At a recent discussion on the upcoming budget and gender equality, experts agreed that in order to prepare a gender-sensitive budget, women's roles in macro economic activities and their contributions to, among others, the agricultural sector and household activities -- which often goes unaccounted for not only in our country but around the world -- must be recognised and measured.

While both women and men share the burden of poverty and underdevelopment, their experiences are different and these differences must be addressed when setting poverty reduction priorities and interventions. Sex disaggregated data is necessary, perhaps derived from the population census, to get a clearer picture of this. It is important to identify how government expenditures do or do not contribute to women's advancement.

For women's concerns to be adequately and effectively addressed, women themselves must be included in the mainstream decision making process. For years, women's rights activists have been demanding that a separate gender wing be established in every ministry and organisation to deal with the gender dimensions. This is yet to materialise, however.

In preparing a gender-responsive budget, it is important to have specific guidelines with gender and poverty formats as well as gender training of persons concerned. Consultations with women themselves, from the grassroots to rights activists are of the utmost importance in order to take into account actual experiences of women and to address their needs and concerns.

The government has a commitment to poverty reduction and development in general and advancement of women in particular. For these to be reality, however, they must be addressed in the national budget. We hope that the upcoming budget will reflect and address these gender concerns towards true betterment of the lives of women.

Providing education online

Let private sector complement official efforts

In a world increasingly getting attuned to information technology, it certainly makes sense for Bangladesh to come level with other nations where easy, electronic means of a supply of information is concerned. The launch of the e-book by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday was, we believe, a good step forward in taking Bangladesh into modernity as it is meant to be. As we understand, the availability of 106 textbooks online is an encouraging beginning towards providing education to all in the country. The job now is for the authorities, especially in the education sector, to ensure that this online education, or e-book system, percolates down to our villages because that is where the future, academic as well as socio-economic, lies.

Let us not be lulled into the belief, though, that a mere introduction of the e-book in itself is a guarantee of a wider dissemination of education in the country. As a matter of fact, the hard part only now begins. That means that for online education or online textbooks to reach people in the rural regions, it is crucial that the technological infrastructure in the upazilas and districts be improved and upgraded. The tens of thousands of schools and colleges spread all across Bangladesh must first be equipped with computers (and, of course, an uninterrupted supply of power must be ensured) before the e-book can be made handy for the young. Which raises the all-important question of whether the government has the resources to equip all educational institutions with computers. Besides, there is a paramount need for trained computer personnel to educate the young on IT matters.

It is here that we agree with the prime minister on the need for the affluent to come forth in buttressing the government's efforts by contributing computers, laptops and other equipment so necessary in the promotion of online education. The past is often a tale of the great, selfless souls who contributed their resources toward promoting education not just in Bangladesh but in the entire subcontinent as well. It is a new generation of philanthropists we are in need of today in the necessary job of complementing government efforts. Let the private sector step forward and fulfill its social responsibilities. There can be no higher investment than promoting focused education.