Khairul Alam, Dhaka: The Women’s Reform Commission has recommended issuing an ordinance to ensure equal rights in marriage, divorce, inheritance, and alimony.

The commission’s report was submitted to Chief Advisor Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the state guesthouse Jamuna on Saturday afternoon, led by the commission’s chairperson, Shirin Parvin Haque.

Later, the commission’s chair and members held a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy to discuss the report.

The report contains 433 recommendations under 15 key areas. Some recommendations are for immediate implementation during the caretaker government’s tenure, while others are medium to long-term.

One key proposal is increasing parliamentary seats to 600 through direct elections, with 300 reserved for women, to enhance female representation.

For immediate implementation, the report suggests constitutional amendments to ensure gender equality, a uniform family law, laws against domestic violence, guardianship reforms, sexual harassment prevention, rape law amendments, citizenship law revisions, and witness protection laws.

The chief advisor directed relevant ministries to swiftly implement feasible recommendations, stating, “We should act on the quickly implementable ones so that we can set an example for the world. Women globally are watching—they will review and be inspired by this.”

Dr. Yunus emphasized that this is not just a women’s issue but a national one. The report will be widely distributed like textbooks and openly accessible. The proposals will also be shared with political parties through the National Consensus Commission.

At the press conference, Shirin Parvin Haque outlined the commission’s guiding principles: non-discrimination, human rights values, and a vision for a secular, democratic, and welfare-based state. “If even 200 of the 433 recommendations are implemented, we’ll make significant progress,” she said.

The report also highlights women’s economic participation barriers, advocating for land rights, workplace safety, childcare facilities, and financial inclusion.

Despite the legal marriage age being 18, 51% of girls marry earlier, leading to unsafe pregnancies (48% of pregnancies are unintended). The commission recommends stricter enforcement against child marriage.

Sex workers, lacking legal recognition, face police harassment and social exclusion. The report urges recognizing them as workers, granting national IDs and voting rights, and ensuring health and financial security.