Empowering women through law and leadership

On March 8th, Brac University Law Society (BULS) collaborated with the Brac University Outreach team to host an informative seminar titled “From Margins to Mandate: Women Reshaping the Judiciary and Public Sphere”, honouring women’s empowerment and celebrating International Women’s Day. The session was attended by prominent figures, Afsana Abedin (Additional District & Sessions Judge and Deputy Director, JATI) and Dr Tasnim Jara (Social Activist and Clinical Entrepreneur). Held in Brac University’s auditorium, the event was attended by esteemed faculty members and students, including Saira Rahman Khan (Professor, SoL) and others.

The event began with Afsana Abedin’s speech, which emphasised the under-representation of women in our country’s legal and judicial systems. She cited patriarchy and unconscious bias in the system as the root of the oppression that women face, depriving them of justice. She remarked, “Justice should be experienced by everyone equally.” While encouraging the younger generation, she said, “Your small steps can make a huge change in the system.”

Dr Jara took the stage next to highlight women in the public sphere. She set the scene by asking the audience to look up “Our world in data: missing women”, a brutal example of women ‘missing at birth’ due to gender discrimination. She also shared her experience of facing inequality in academic and professional life, citing the lack of female representation in decision-making places as a reason, and urged young voices to lead the change. While delving deeper into her speech, she declared, “Knowledge gives authority and a voice.” She also shared her motivation to serve, stating, “It is easy to overcome challenges when you remember what your purpose is.”

A question-and-answer session followed the speeches. The event concluded with the closing statement by Professor Saira, also the co-advisor of BULS. She affirmed –

“Women’s rights must be safeguarded through actions, not words.”