By Biswajit Mondal from Shyamnagar, Satkhira
“We women wake up before men every day and work tirelessly until night. Despite doing endless tasks for family and household, we are often told we do nothing. Perhaps we are weaker than men in terms of physical strength, but is every task dependent on strength? Our lives are consumed in caring for families, yet we are denied recognition. That is why we demand dignity, not strength.”
These words were spoken by Madhuri Rani Sardar, a woman farmer from Mathurapur village in Munshiganj Union, Shyamnagar. She shared her views recently at a community dialogue titled “Roles of Men and Women in Society”, organized with the support of BARCIK.
The dialogue, chaired by Sujata Rani Mondal, vice-president of the local Green Coalition, was attended by 38 participants including farmers, students, and BARCIK staff. Participants expressed that society still tries to confine women to household work, but in reality, both men and women must contribute equally to sustain families. Although women work alongside men, their contributions are undervalued. They continue to face wage discrimination, exclusion from decision-making, and lack of independence.
The meeting concluded with proposals such as creating awareness at family and village levels, ensuring equal treatment of boys and girls, organizing community gatherings, and urging government action through policies and budgets to eliminate gender inequality.
