Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury

Hon. Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury MP is the first woman Speaker of the Bangladesh Parliament and has experience of working with Commonwealth countries and governments. She was involved in implementing the Commonwealth Gender Plan of Action and held the Commonwealth Gender Chair for two years. Bangladesh hosted the 10th Commonwealth Women Affairs Ministers’ Meeting in 2013 under her leadership. As State Minister for Women and Children, Dr. Chaudhury promoted gender equality and contributed in formulating National Women Development Policy, Children Policy and Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Act. As a Commonwealth Scholar she completed Doctor of Philosophy in Law from University of Essex, UK (2000) and was conferred an Honorary Ph.D. (2014). Dr. Chaudhury was awarded Asia Society’s Humanitarian Services Award in 2010 for her role in preventing violence against women and has been a practising Advocate of Bangladesh Supreme Court since 2009.