Patuakhali, Sep 26 (V7N)- A day-long women's conference was held in Kalapara Upazila, Patuakhali, bringing together women from fishermen’s families to discuss their role in economic development, nutrition, and biodiversity conservation. The event took place on Thursday at the Upazila Parishad Hall and was organized by the International Research Organization Enhanced Coastal Fisheries in Bangladesh (ECOFISH-II), in collaboration with USAID.

A total of 79 marginalized women, members of the Women's Income and Nutrition Development Team and Community Savings Group, participated in the conference. The discussions focused on various topics, including women’s economic empowerment, business education, nutritious food, and women’s contribution to the conservation of biodiversity.

Md. Rabiul Islam, Upazila Executive Officer, attended the event as the chief guest, while Md. Bakhtiar Rahman, Assistant Researcher of WorldFish, Ecofish-2, conducted the program. Special guests included Senior Upazila Fisheries Officer Apu Saha, Upazila Agriculture Extension Officer Mosiur Rahman, Sub-Assistant Livestock Officer Subhashish Majumdar, and Upazila Women Affairs Officer Taslima Akhtar.

Representatives from the local NGO TMSS, bodyguard members, co-organization committee members, and media workers from both print and electronic media were also present.

Md. Bakhtiar Rahman highlighted that Ecofish-2 has been working with 15,000 fishing families since 2020 to improve the quality of life for women in these households. The project offers training in economic self-reliance, business education, technical knowledge, marketing support, nutrition, and gender awareness. The women’s conference, held under the slogan "Women are waking up to protect biodiversity, contributing to life and livelihood," served as a platform to celebrate the achievements and empower women in the fishing community to continue their contributions to both the economy and environmental conservation.

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