Speaking at a national workshop on 'Programme Based Approach for Gender Mainstreaming', she said this approach would help emancipate women from the curse of poverty, realise Millennium Development Goals and implement national action plan for women's development.

The workshop was organised by the UNDP-sponsored Capacity Building for Gender Mainstreaming Project under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs at Sheraton Hotel.

Government officials, representatives of development partners and civil society members discussed the formulation process of the Programme Based Approach at the working session.

UNDP Resident Representative Jorgen Lissner said most development partners are now convinced that there is a need for a more integrated, coordinated approach to the development cooperation.

Hua Du, officer-in-charge of Asian Development Bank, said the ADB is very keen to support long-term and comprehensive planning process for gender mainstreaming.

Dr Tehmina Hussain, national policy advisor to the Programme Based Approach for Gender Mainstreaming, said gender disparity pervades in a number of spheres and it is suggested in the PRSP that elimination of these disparities can only be achieved through adopting a multi-sectoral approach.

Murtaza Hussain Munshi, secretary of the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Ruzina Alexandar, first secretary, Canadian High Commission, Mobaswara Begum, national project director, and Md Abul Quasem, joint secretary of the ministry, also spoke at the inaugural ceremony of the workshop.