PM asks women to bravely face stalkers

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday advised women to bravely face the stalkers instead of choosing the path of suicide.“Why will you choose such an extreme course? You must learn self-defence,” she said at a function marking the distribution of Begum Rokeya Award 2010 at the Osmani Memorial Auditorium in the city.She blasted a section of women for showing extreme attitude in choosing their attires and also in their demeanor.“One section of women wears too small clothes while another section covers their whole body, even their face and eyes… both are unacceptable. We’ve to maintain our culture and tradition,” she said.
Women & Children Affairs Ministry organised the function as part of their annual programme where State Minister Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was present as special guest.Addressing the function, the prime minister said it seems that the so-called ultra-modern women “don’t bother to keep their modesty.”

Criticising the other section for covering their whole body with clothes in the name of religion, she said: “Our religion never told us to do so.”In this connection, Hasina said Islam is the religion which pays highest respect to women. She mentioned names of various distinguished women who were indivisibly linked with Islam in its early stage.The prime minister said she has been doing everything keeping to the local traditions and also of Islam. “I never encountered any obstacles.”She, however, was critical of the attitude of confining women only in the house in the name of religion.The prime minister advised the guardians to teach their children, both boys and girls, about morality and customs of the country apart from imparting them religious education.
She also asked the women to strive to realise their rights as rights are never given automatically and hardly realised by mere placing of demands.In this connection, she put special emphasis on women-literacy, saying that only education could give strength to the women.She further said besides education, women also need to attain economic freedom. “The society will advance towards development if women attain economic freedom along side good education.”Later, the prime minister handed over gold medal, certificate and cheque to Ayesha Jafar and Prof Meher Kabir - the recipients of Begum Rokeya Award 2010 - for their contributions in women empowerment and development.National Professor Kabir Chowdhury received the medal, certificate and cheque on behalf of his wife Prof Meher Kabir as she was unable to come to the function due to her illness.