Bangladesh-UN Women pledge closer cooperation

Bangladesh and UN Women have reaffirmed their commitment to working together to advance women’s economic empowerment, strengthen climate resilience, and implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Both sides also agreed to further enhance bilateral cooperation in promoting gender equality and protecting women’s rights.

The commitment was expressed during a bilateral meeting between Bangladesh’s State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Shama Obaed Islam, and UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, Sima Bahous, in New York on Friday.

During the meeting, Bahous praised Bangladesh for its notable progress in advancing women’s empowerment and gender equality. She reiterated UN Women’s interest in deepening its partnership with the Bangladesh government to further implement the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

The UN Women chief also commended the significant contributions of Bangladeshi female peacekeepers to international peacebuilding efforts and United Nations peacekeeping missions. She congratulated Bangladesh on its election to the presidency of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

State Minister Shama Obaed Islam highlighted Bangladesh’s longstanding commitment to empowering women. She recalled the historic introduction of free education for girls under the leadership of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and outlined a range of initiatives undertaken by the current government, including free education for female students up to the postgraduate level, expanded reproductive healthcare services, and improved mental health support.

She called for closer and more effective collaboration with UN Women to sustain and strengthen these efforts.

The meeting also addressed the ongoing humanitarian challenges facing Rohingya women and girls living in refugee camps in Bangladesh. The State Minister expressed concern over funding shortages affecting assistance programs and stressed the importance of continued international support for a sustainable solution to the Rohingya crisis.

She urged the global community to maintain pressure for the safe, voluntary, and dignified repatriation of displaced Rohingyas to Myanmar, emphasizing the need for sustained international engagement in resolving the crisis.