Education for Women

By Aysha Parveen

A nation can not get progress without education because education is the back bone of a nation. Every people should be educated. Women are the part of our nation. Without education women can not prosper in their life. An educated mother can make an educated family. If women can prosper in their life then a nation can be developed.

Bangladesh is a small and developing country. Education is the part of our life. So Bangladesh will not be success without a proper education. Most of the people are women here. For this reason women are the very important part of our country. An educated woman can help to build a developed nation. Every woman will be a mother. An educated woman can take and make decision in every step in life. They can build their career in many sectors, like: - computer, banking, education, NGO and many other government sectors. As a result our nation can be connected with the other development countries. It helps to develop a country in many sectors. So education is very important for every woman’s life.

Bangladeshi women are very helpless because most of the women of our country are illiterate. They are tortured in many ways because most of them are uneducated. An educated woman can get progress in her life very easily. In the conclusion, we can say that every woman should be educated. It is really very important for a nation.

Garments Workers

By Jannatul Ferdoush

Bangladesh is a small and poor country. It is an over populated country too. There are many people who live in Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. Dhaka is a very crowded city. Most of the people of Bangladesh live in villages. Many people come to the cities to do a good job to earn money. Most of them work in garments factories. All aged people can work in the garments. They had no choice to do another work to earn money.

Garments workers’ life is very difficult. They wake up in every early morning. At first they are to finish their all household works. After that they go out to attend their work. They walked a long way to attend their work. Women workers face many problems. They are to maintain both their family and professional life at a time.

Garments workers’ life is very simple. These workers are lower class people. Most of garments workers live in slums. They work in garments for a long time. Most of the times they do over time work. But they can’t get their legal salary.

Bangladesh earns million dollars from foreign countries for these garment workers. But workers didn’t get the real respect like other people. We should respect them. These workers are the most important part of our country.

International Women's Day 2008--Poems from Nari Jibon Students

From Kathryn Ward, USA. Graphics from TakeBackTheTech!


In honor of International Women's Day, six Nari Jibon students composed Bangla poems on the theme of "Women Hold Up Half of the Sky". Sufia's poem (below) was selected as one of three student bloggers' poems for the Rising Voices Poetry Jam (others from Madagascar and Colombia).

Here are the english translations of all six entries from the Nari Jibon Project as translated by Kazi Rafiqul Islam; the Bangla versions will be up soon on Amader Kotha as well as some other poems and stories for this day!

Enjoy some of the latest from the Nari Jibon Project students whose talents continue to grow and as they tell their stories through poetry!

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Priority

Sufia-734 (In Bangla)

Time has come now

To stand for that we need

Not equality, but priority.

Upright

We want to open our heart

Express our mind

For that we need

Not equality, but priority.

Fathers can be cruel even

Mothers cannot.

Mothers can sacrifice

Fathers cannot.

That is what women are

We can do everything.

Combating with sorrow

Win happiness.

No more shall we endure injustice

No more shall we remain within the four walls.

Time has come to open ears and eyes

To protest against unfair deeds.

For that we need

Not equality, but priority.

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You are a woman

Sonia-782 (In Bangla)

You are a woman

O woman, you are my mother.

A woman is the symbol of beauty.

O woman, you are the beginning

You are the end.

In you I find the morning, the evening.

In darkness you bring light

You serve us

You are the blessing of God.

You have equal rights in all affairs

You are affectionate, symbol of love.

Your love makes us feel great.

On this International Women’s Day

We convey our love and respect.

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Woman

Rosy Alam-555 (In Bangla)

Behind every success, who plays the prominent role?

None else, it is woman who achieves the goal.

It is known to everybody

Woman is a poem of victory.

That is why endless sorrows and pains

Can not touch you, even

In a male dominated society

Still you give a gaiety

Without you the world is ugly

You have made it beautiful, really.

You are sacred, holy you are

You own the achievements, here and there.

That is why on the day

Remembering you I want to say

All my love and respect to you.

O woman! You are symbol of fulfillment

We pay you all our tributes and honor

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I am still alive

Husnul Awread-769 (In Bangla)

Don’t shed your tears, other

I do suffer a lot

Who told you mother

I am not alive.

When my memory

Haunt you, mother

I will blossom as flowers in the garden.

Keep the flower with dearly care

Into the lock of your hair.

Before going to bed keep the flower in the vase.

You will dream the flower – talking with you.

I am still alive as a flower

On your lap, mother

As thousands of flowers.

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In vain

Surma Akter- 691 (In Bangla)

Story of a woman’s life

All in vain

No one wants to listen.

Story of a woman’s life

Laughter and tears, pains and sorrows

That is the way of life.

Story of a woman’s life

Along the solitary path

Hurdles and barriers.

Story of a woman’s life

Spread around imaginations.

Days and years pass away

Pass all the decades

Still the sufferings of women

Remain uncared.

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Confident woman

Shilpi Akter -772 (In Bangla)

Can I say as a woman

Am I not the vast sky?

Can I say as a woman

Am I not a beach of the sea?

Can I say as a woman

Am I not hills and mountains?

Can I say as a woman

Am I not crater of a volcano?

Can I say as a woman

Can’t I be the life saving oxygen?

Can I say as a woman

Am I not hard working as a man?

I can be everything as a woman

I can build up a strong mind and self confidence.