BRAC very recently has incepted a development project entitled Economic Empowerment of Poor and Vulnerable Women in Bangladesh that aimed at strengthening social and economic empowerment of poor and vulnerable women in Narayanganj. What is EEP
EEP (Economic Empowerment of Poor and Vulnerable Women in Bangladesh) is a BRAC’s new initiatives focus on Women empowerment overall aimed to strengthen the
social and economic empowerment of poor and vulnerable women in Narayanganj. The focuses
EEP facilitates for positive changes in policies and practices within GoB, financial institutions (FIs) and communities, vulnerable women of Narayanganj, aware of their rights and available economic services, will have improved access to financial and social services and support, enabling them to engage in economically productive activities. With new skills, more economically secure livelihoods and increased incomes that they control, they will be better placed to move out of poverty, providing for themselves and their families, having increased decision-making power in decisions that affect their lives. Through discussions, workshops, training, use of promotional materials and continuous review, learning will be identified and good practice captured and widely disseminated amongst stakeholders locally, regionally and nationally. This will increase the sphere of influence and longer-term sustainable impact of the action so that all women in Bangladesh will benefit long term from an improved environment for social and economic empowerment. What it expects
EEP anticipates to contribute to achieving the Bangladesh‘s National Women‘s Development Policy (NWDP), the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 3 on enabling poor women in Narayanganj in particular to benefit from economic resources (e.g. credit, marketing, advice), be more aware of their rights and more skilled to engage in productive activities (including decent employment, investments and business) within an environment of improved organisational gender policies and practices. The approach
The project approach is both multi-sectoral (social, economic, legal, and organisational) and multi-actor (national and local GoB, civil society, private sector financial institutions and poor, vulnerable women) to ensure the targeted women have increased incomes and financial security. Major activities
Result 1: Enhanced women empowerment through improved livelihood skills and gender awareness
• Formation and functioning of CEG (Community Empowerment Group), and Livelihood training for CEG member;
• Selecting and assembly CE (Community Educator) through Gender training in Rural & Urban;
• Facilitate formation of Community Theatres Groups (CTG) and provide capacity building training and support them to organise theatres/drama/cultural shows on gender equality and women’s economic empowerment
• Facilitate linkage between the CEGs and local level services providers i.e. Result 2: Increased institutional capacity of service providers
• Capacity building workshop with NCC/UPs, BWCC and financial institutions/service providers
• Facilitate establishment of NWCC (Narayanganj Women Chambers of Commerce)
• Facilitate/support organising Women Entrepreneurs Trade Fair
Result 3: Strengthened advocacy and knowledge management for women’s improved economic participation
• Review/study of gender working manual/policy of NCC/UPs and BWCC
• Sharing & dissemination workshop on the findings of the review/study of gender working manual/policy of NCC/UPs and BWCC
• Document and disseminate organisational best practices
• Media mobilization
• Documentation & learning sharing of project’s impact on women’s empowerment
