Members of Parliaments from seven Asian and African nations on Wednesday said parliaments have a critical role to play in ensuring the accountability of all parties for allocating the required resources and achieving the desired results for women and children. They laid emphasis on innovative approaches, effective laws and legislation, efficient resource allocation and oversight of execution by parliaments, and said that these could play a pivotal role in addressing tough challenges. The participants also stressed the need for the review and improving laws to strengthen the framework that supports women’s and children’s health. At the seminar, the participants also underlined the importance of establishing parliamentary committees with a special focus on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health. The observation was made at the two-day Multi-Country Seminar on Parliaments and Accountability for Women’s and children’s Health that ended today. Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni attended the closing session as the chief guest. Representatives from Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Salma Ataullahjan, World Health Organization (WHO) Dr Thushara Fernando and SK Abu Bakar, MP also spoke at the closing session. The seminar with the participants from Bangladesh, India, Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zimbabwe identified actions which the parliaments can take to promote accountability for women’s and children’s health. The proposed actions to deepen accountability are aligned with the generic roles of parliamentarians. These actions include echoing the voice of women and children in parliaments, creating enabling environment through legislation and policies, ensuring effective implementation of effective strategies, adequate budgetary allocation and monitoring progress and results through auditing and oversight agencies. Dipu Moni said the seminar has been very productive and it will help create a platform for sharing experiences and learn from each other. She said Parliament in Bangladesh is very active in addressing women and children issues and its parliamentary standing committees have emerged as effective, vibrant and transparent watchdog bodies. Dipu Moni said they are in a process of setting up a parliamentary caucus to address women’s and children’s health issues more effectively. – UNB
