Currently, direct and indirect gender equality expenditure taken together accounts for 22 percent of the total budget of Bangladesh, she said, adding that "In the next fiscal year, we have proposed to increase this share to 24 percent."

Some 38 of Commonwealth's 53 member countries attended the meeting in Uganda, under the theme 'Financing Gender Equality for Development and Democracy', according to an official handout.

Bangladesh has been putting in efforts and laying emphasis on empowering the women of the country, Geetiara said. As the government has given high priority to girls' education, literacy level of women has increased significantly, she added.

The government and non-government organisations are implementing different types of allowances and micro-credit programmes. As a result, near about 68 percent of women became self-reliant which leads to improve the status of women within the country, the adviser further added.

Geetiara said with the rise in female literacy rate and with growing economic empowerment, women are not only taking decisions at the family levels, they are now moving into other broader areas.

She also said that women have become more aware of their political rights. Entry to all Bangladesh civil service cadres has opened up the avenues for women to get into decision-making levels of the government.

Women have also ventured into armed forces and law enforcing agencies, she added.