Speakers at a pre-budget discussion called for stepping up monitoring of implementation of the gender responsive budget to help ensure women empowerment in the country.
They also called for increasing budgetary allocation for vocational training, skill development in information technology (IT), and other logistics support for women entrepreneurs.
The pre-budget discussion on monetary allocation to ensure women's empowerment was organised by Bangladesh Mahila Parishad (BMP) on Thursday at its headquarters in the city.
BMP President Ayesha Khanam chaired the discussion while Dr M M Akash, professor of economics at the University of Dhaka, and Nazneen Ahmed, senior research fellow at Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS), spoke on the occasion, among others.
Associate Professor of the Economics Department of Jahangrinagar University Sormindo Nilormi presented a keynote paper at the beginning of the discussion.
She said the volume of Bangladesh's gender responsive budget increased by 29.3 per cent in the fiscal year (FY) 2017-18 compared to the corresponding period.
To ensure women's increased participation in the country's economy, she underlined the need for vocational training for them.
Professor M M Akash said the allocation in gender responsive budget gradually rose in recent years following appeal from rights organisations.
"However, women rights organisations should now cautiously look into the gender budget allocation aiming to make it meaningful," he said.
The professor also suggested that BMP form a monitoring committee in this regard.
About the country's overall economic status, the professor said employment growth rate in Bangladesh is declining despite a significant growth in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in recent years.
Nazneen Ahmed said the government should provide incentive to establish adequate number of daycare centres to facilitate the working mothers' lives in urban areas.
The unemployment rate among city women is much higher than that of the rural areas, she said.
She also suggested oraganising training programmes for women so that they can create employment for themselves with the knowledge of information technology.
