Quota system promotes women leadership: Speaker

Speaker of the Jatiya Sangsad andChairperson of Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) ExecutiveCommittee Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury today said quota system facilitates women to increase their engagement in the political arena and enhance their leadership quality.

"Quota system facilitates women to work as a politician and play their role in issue based activities like elimination of violence against women, addressing climate change crises, insuring gender equality and so on," she said, a press release received here today said.

Dr Shirin was speaking in a panel discussion arranged by Houses of
Parliament at the Westminster, in the UK, on the occasion of International Women's Day.

Speaker of the House of Commons John Bercow, Norwegian Ambassador to UK Mona Juul, Ex Minister of Basingstoke Maria Miller, Jamaica High Commissioner to UK Aloun Ndombet-Assamba and British MP Baroness Williams of Crosby took part in the discussion.

The Speaker suggested the political parties to nominate more women in direct elections to enhance women's representation in the Parliaments. She said, adding "Equal level playing field is needed to increase women representation in parliamentary democracy."

She opined that quota system in parliamentary representation is a
temporary measure to create space for women in politics which is an instant provision against the trend of affirmative discrimination against women.

Emphasizing on building confidence among women Dr Chaudhury said,
"Confidence building in women is a major area where all have to work shoulder to shoulder."

After the panel discussion, Dr. Shirin met Lord Speaker Baroness D'Souza at the Westminster. Both the Speakers discussed about strengthening parliamentary participation in development planning within the Commonwealth.