UN Women
The Women’s Empowerment for Inclusive Growth (WING) program jointly launched by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), and UN Women in collaboration with Government of Netherlands seeks to foster skills that create dignified and formal participation of women as employees and entrepreneurs in local economies, breaking entrenched discriminatory attitudes, norms and stereotypes that created the current inequities in the social, political and economic spheres. Under UN women, BCCP is carrying out the assignment on Conducting Gender Sessions and Gender Action Plan Development. The overall objectives of the assignment are-
1. Enhanced capacity of women entrepreneurs, women’s business associations/chamber of commerce and Women Development Forum (WDF) to participate in local economic development decision-making process; and
2. Enhanced awareness of local authorities and communities about sociocultural and structural barriers to women’s economic empowerment that supports cultivation of favorable social norms.
Major accomplishments: Conduct Gender Trainings at Field Level: BCCP organized and conducted 3 categories of training on GRBP and Gender action plan development at different venues of 5 upazilas in 3 districts during October 18- November 29, 2021, which were Thakurgaon Sadar, Pirganj, Jashore Sadar, Singair and Saturia. On October 20, 2021, Ms. Veronika Flegar, First Secretary at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, Ms. Mezabin Mehzabin Ahmed, Programme Coordinator, WING, UN Women Bangladesh were present in the closing session at Zila Parisad Hall, Thakurgaon Sadar for the training of GRBP. A total of 823 participants attended in the training in 15 batches where female participants were 494 (60%) and male participants were 329 (40%).
Follow up survey: A follow-up survey has conducted with training participants as part of the program design to assess knowledge improvement on gender and women's empowerment, as well as women's engagement in economic activity and decision-making. The study aimed to track the follow up of training participant’s knowledge and initiatives of the Local Government Representatives, Women Development Forum (WDFs), Community and Private sector regarding gender sensitive budgeting and engagement of women in local economic development process. BCCP has prepared follow up survey report and submitted to UN Women.
Conduct Gender Trainings at Field Level (2nd phase): BCCP is planning to conduct 3 categories of training for 2nd phase in 5 upazilas namely Cox’s bazar sadar, Ukhia, Teknaf, Krigram sadar and Ulipur between September and November.