Former sex worker, teacher of Bangladesh on BBC 100 Women 2020 list

The BBC has named two Bangladeshis on its 100 Women 2020 list.

They are former sex worker Rina Akter and teacher Rima Sultana Rimu.

Rina and her team of helpers have served around 400 meals a week - including rice, vegetables, eggs and meat - to sex workers in Dhaka during the pandemic.

The sex workers have no clients, and are struggling to feed themselves, the BBC said.

“People see our profession as demeaning, but we do it to buy food. I am trying to make sure women in this profession are not left hungry, and their children will not have to do this work,” it quoted Rina as saying.

Rima is a member of Young Women Leaders for Peace in Cox’s Bazar. The programme, part of the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, aims to empower young women from conflict-affected countries to be leaders and agents of peace.

photo: BBC

Rima responded to the Rohingya refugee crisis in her community by advocating for gender-responsive humanitarian action. She organises gender-sensitive, age-appropriate literacy and numeracy classes for Rohingya refugees, and for women and girls in the community who lack access to education.

Rima also uses radio broadcasts and theatre performance to raise awareness of UN Security Council resolutions, relating especially to women, peace and security, in her community.

“I am determined to bring gender equality to Bangladesh. I believe in the power of women and girls to fight for our rights. We will succeed,” she said

The BBC list this year highlights those who are leading change and making a difference during these turbulent times.

The list includes Sanna Marin, who leads Finland's all-female coalition government, Michelle Yeoh, star of the new Avatar and Marvel films, and Sarah Gilbert, who heads the Oxford University research into a coronavirus vaccine, as well as Jane Fonda, a climate activist and actress.

And in an extraordinary year - when countless women around the world have made sacrifices to help others - one name on the 100 Women list has been left blank as a tribute.

BBC 100 Women names 100 influential and inspirational women around the world every year. It creates documentaries, features and interviews about their lives, giving more space for stories that put women at the centre.