Ashshash hosts knowledge-sharing event to promote women’s inclusion in skills development and employment

On ​25 September 2024​, Winrock International's ​Ashshash project​, supported by the ​Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh​, organised a knowledge-sharing event to highlight the challenges faced by women in Bangladesh in pursuing education, skills training, and employment and business opportunities. During the discussions, panellists and attendees identified numerous strategies to mitigate these challenges and support the empowerment and progress of women, particularly at the grassroots level. 

The keynote speaker was ​Mr. Asif Ahmed​, Assistant Professor and Director of Graduate Business Program, ULAB, and the sessions were moderated by ​Mr. Ferdous Ahmed​, Lead Consultant, EK Management Consulting Ltd. The esteemed panellists included ​Ms. Nadira Khanam​, Advisor-Inclusive Development, CARE Bangladesh; ​Mr. Korvi Rakshand​, Founder, Jaago Foundation; ​Dr. Rubina Husain​, Managing Director & Centre Head, Institute of Hotel Management & Hospitality; and ​Mr. Lutfur Rahman​, Founder, GreenTech Foundation & GreenTech Ventures. Attendees also included representatives from NGOs, UN organisations, INGOs, civil society organisations, and the private sector in Bangladesh.

The sessions explored Bangladesh's progress in promoting women's empowerment while addressing ongoing challenges to achieving autonomy and equality for women, particularly in rural areas. Despite advancements in female education, issues such as high dropout rates and wage disparities were discussed. The need for greater opportunities in skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship for women was also a key focus. 

The panel discussion covered critical topics, including ​gender equity and social inclusion​, the importance of ​gender inclusion in developing skilled workforces​, creating ​women-friendly infrastructure for training and employment​, and ​customising training curricula​ to meet the varied needs of women from rural communities. A significant strategy moving forward is to explore partnerships with private sector organisations, including banks, and to identify alternative pathways for civil society organisations to collaborate with private sector companies by understanding their needs and demands.

"Creating awareness among the youth to voice their opinions on social issues that hinder women's empowerment is crucial and needs more emphasis from civil society organisations," said ​Mr. Rakshand​. Several participants also stressed the need to equip women, especially in rural communities, with ​AI-based tools and skills​, alongside ​basic digital literacy​. ​Financial literacy​ was identified as a major precursor to providing loans to women in rural areas. The need for effective financial literacy and management for human trafficking survivors and other vulnerable groups was also a key discussion point.

The Ashshash project will incorporate these strategic insights into its future programming. The project works to facilitate the ​social and economic reintegration of human trafficking survivors​ across ten of the most trafficking-prone districts in Bangladesh. It also raises awareness and aims to prevent human trafficking through messaging distributed via various tools and media.