Treat women’s rights as human rights: Speaker

Bangladesh's first woman Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury has appealed that women’s rights not be merely viewed as those of women, but as of humans.

She made the appeal at a symposium on ‘What should Young Woman Think and Do’ in Japan’s Sophia University on Sunday, Parliament Secretariat said in a media release.

“It is important to get rights as human not as woman. It is more important to work as human not as woman," she was quoted as saying.

“In today’s world women’s rights should not be viewed as mere rights of the women, but it should be treated as human rights.”

While sharing some aspects of her life, the speaker urged her young audience to prepare to face the present-day challenges.

Melanne Verveer, head of Global Human Development Initiative of the Georgetown University, US, and Tawakkol Kaman, Nobel Peace laureate of Yemen, also addressed the symposium.

Chaudhury also attended a brief meeting with the representatives of Bangladesh Community at Bangladesh Embassy in Tokyo.

A group of children welcomed Chaudhury by presenting a Rabindra Sangeet.

Mentioning the contribution of the expatriate to the Bangladesh economy, she urged them to make further contribution in building the nation.

Chaudhury left for Japan on Thursday to attend a world assembly for women at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

She left for Bangkok from Tokyo on Sunday afternoon and is scheduled to return on Sept 16.