International Women's Day 2021
Artist Preema Goes Beyond Art to Empower
Nazia Andaleeb Preema is one of the most provocative and evolving artists of Bangladesh with a career spanning 25 years, influencing our culture along the way. She had represented Bangladesh in various international exhibitions including the 58th La Biennale de Venezia in 2019. She has had over 20 solo expositions worldwide, participated in 5 Asian Art Biennales, art residencies, festivals and workshops. She has received numerous national and international accolades for her work, particularly surrounding women. She is the President of Women in Leadership (WIL) and its initiatives, Founder of Bangladesh Creative Forum (BCF), and Director/Curator of Bangladesh Brand Forum furthering her passion and mission to women empowerment and creative leadership.
Women's Day Special / Fatinaaz Feroz: Trailblazing women, inspiring the future generation
Fatinaaz Feroz, Chairman of Board of Trustees of Stamford University Bangladesh, speaks to The Daily Star about her voyage from a young, passionate student with skills to becoming the leading figure in one of the leading private university in Bangladesh and gives her sage advice in how to take equality and women empowerment to the next level.
Women's Day Special / Yes I do belong – Women closing the gender gap in unconventional professions
Women grow up being told to rein in their dreams and aspirations to fit a certain template of what the world thinks they should be like. Their thoughts, actions and ideas often get muddled in dictation, and their choices and ambitions often get confuddled in self-doubt. For too long, mythical tales of women not being good leaders or only being good for certain “woman-friendly” professions have polluted safe spaces. Against all odds and in fact owning these odds, the women at BAT Bangladesh are currently exceling at jobs that are infamous for being “a man’s job”. Starting from being the sole in-charge of a territory to working in the frontline at the factory in shifts to overseeing large teams – these women are doing it all.
Leading from the front in a pandemic
The outbreak of coronavirus and subsequent lockdown wrecked a havoc on business activities and wiped out many jobs apart from taking away many lives.
F-commerce boom amid the pandemic: How women are taking the lead
When her husband faced a huge pay cut a month after the outbreak of Covid-19, advocate Noorjahan Kabir was left with no choice but to step forward to help her seven-member family.
Breaking barriers on two wheels
What is an indicator of social progress? In a country like Bangladesh, women still feel unsafe travelling to the nearest grocery store, their own university, and even their workplace. Public transport is not an option for a lot of them due to the various risks of harassment associated with it. In such a situation, mobility is freedom. For a lot of women, this is what riding their bike means.
Female bankers on the frontline during Covid-19
At the end of long working days, after the sun would set and the streets became deserted, Nafisa Sarwar would have to walk home all alone.
OF UNSUNG SHEROES
Dr Farhana Wahab still cannot believe how scary those days were when the coronavirus pandemic hit the country in March last year.