Adviser to Women and Children Affairs Ministry Sharmeen S. Murshid joined at the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Women’s Empowerment at Brasilia in Brazil held on 11 October. This Ministerial Meeting followed the 4th Meeting of the G20 Empowerment of Women Working Group (EWWG).
Sharmeen S. Murshid called for a united global effort to create a world where women and girls can thrive, free from violence, discrimination, and societal barriers. She underscored the importance of amplifying youth voices, referencing the recent student movements in Bangladesh advocating for justice and meaningful change. She highlighted Nobel Laureate Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s leadership and vision in spearheading the efforts to build a discrimination-free Bangladesh.

Adviser Murshid expressed her gratitude to the G20 Brazilian Presidency for inviting Bangladesh, reaffirming the country’s unwavering commitment to the G20’s EWWG. She highlighted Bangladesh’s success in promoting gender equality and economic inclusion through innovative microcredit and social business models. She also stressed the need for urgent international collaboration to tackle the unique challenges women and girls face worldwide, urging all to uphold universal values such as non-violence, respect for human rights, and the rule of law.

During the visit Adviser held several high-profile meetings with global leaders. She met with Brazil’s First Lady, Janja Lula da Silva and Minister for Women, Cida Gonçalves, discussing initiatives to enhance cooperation on women’s empowerment and Aproductive bilateral meeting with South Africa’s Minister Lydia Sindisiwe Chikunga. She also met with the European Union Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli and U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues, Geeta Rao Gupta.

Ambassador Gupta praised Bangladesh’s reform efforts and reaffirmed the U.S.’s strong support for continued collaboration with Bangladesh, especially in empowering vulnerable women.
On the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting Adviser Murshid had discussions with delegations from Saudi Arabia, UN Women, and UNESCO, further strengthening Bangladesh’s international partnerships and exploring new avenues of cooperation for women’s empowerment.