Bangladesh has won the Women in Parliaments Global Forum (WIP) Award as a pioneering country in reducing gender discrimination.

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will receive the prestigious Award tomorrow at the Annual Summit 2015 of WIP to be held in Ethiopia, said a foreign ministry press release.

The WIP Awards are presented to those countries, which are recognised for their political empowerment of women, and show regional leadership in closing the gender gap in politics.

State Minister Shahriar Alam left Dhaka for Ethiopia last night for a three-day official visit to attend the event and he is leading a three-member delegation.

The awards are based on the rankings of the World Economic Forum's "Global Gender Gap Report", which are compiled in collaboration with the Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley.

"New Leadership for Global Challenges" is the theme of the WIP Summit 2015, co-hosted by the African Union and co-financed by the European Commission. It focuses on new leadership for change; on the need for variety of different leaders, men and women, that are willing to work together, and share insights and innovations on how best to deal with the global challenges of today and navigate the future.

Female parliamentarians from around the world are attending the WIP Annual Summit 2015. It presents a unique opportunity for participants to discuss the pressing global challenges; and to take part in political dialogues that reflect the influence and importance of female decision-makers in today's world.

The WIP Summit 2015 will be held at the Nelson Mandela Hall in the Headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa. International Institutions including the European Union, OECD, United Nations and the World Bank are integral part of the WIP Annual Summit 2015, and will provide Working Sessions.