Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy (SPD) Project of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Parliamentary Caucus on Gender organised the fifth regional dialogue on strengthening relations between women members of parliament and local councils at the Oath Room of parliament.

Urged by the women UP members, the members of parliament (MPs) and experts agreed that they should hold regular meetings with the women members of local government, and formulate laws on their rights and responsibilities.

"The chairman and male ward commissioners say that the women members are of low quality and it is better for us to serve the husbands rather than joining council meetings or going to UNO offices," said Salima Talukder, woman member of Ghatail UP, Tangail.

The male chairmen use humiliating words and raise question about the character of women members if they strongly argue on any issue or demand their due rights, she said.

The chairmen often do not call the women members in the meetings, or value their opinions, give their due in allocations for projects like Food for Work, Vulnerable Group Feeding or rations for widows or elderly people, Rokhshana Shirin, a woman member of Mymensingh Paurashava, said.

In many cases allocation is received in the name of the women UP members, but the chairmen do not feel it necessary to have their signatures, Rahima Akhter of Araihazar UP under Raiganj upazila said.

Selima Begum of Madaripur Paurashava suggested ensuring the women members' attendance in the monthly coordination meeting at the upazila level so that they know the decisions taken.

Speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural session, Speaker of Parliament Jamiruddin Sircar said the women MPs should go to the women members of the local governments, exchange their views and strengthen relationship that will gradually create awareness of their rights to play their due role.

Emphasising decision making capacity of women public representatives, he said one parliamentary seat from each of the 64 districts could be reserved for the women candidates to increase their participation in the direct electoral process.

Jahanara Begum MP said women MPs' meeting with the women members of local councils and listening to their problems may help formulate laws in parliament. Regular meetings with the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs can also help overcome their problems, she said.

Helen Jerin Khan MP and Shirin Jahan, a ward commissioner of Dhaka City Corporation, presented two keynote papers on the relationship between the women MPs and women members of local government institutions, while Sarwari Rahman MP, leader of the Parliamentary Caucus on Gender, chaired the session.

Shahidul Haque Jamal MP, Parliament Secretary ATM Ataur Rahman, Assistant Resident Representative of UNDP Nojibur Rahman, Project Implementation Specialist of SPD Prof ATM Obaidullah also spoke.