Netherlands, Save the Children team up to strengthen women-led orgs’ capacity

The Kingdom of the Netherlands, represented by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bangladesh, signed a grant agreement with Save the Children to strengthen the organisational capacity of women-led organisations in Bangladesh.

With a grant valued at €2 million, Save the Children will spearhead a 4-year project that focuses on strengthening women's economic rights and empowerment by leveraging the transformative potential of women-led organisations.

The grant agreement was signed at the Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka, under the project "SWOCCHAR: Strengthening WLOs (Women-Led Organisations) Organisational Capacity for Championing Women's Rights", said a press release.

Irma-van Dueren, ambassador-designate of the Netherlands to Bangladesh, Thijs Woudstra, deputy head of mission of the Netherlands Embassy, Betsy A Zorio, country director of Save the Children, and relevant officials from the Embassy and Save the Children, were present at the signing ceremony.

This partnership underscores the unwavering commitment of the Netherlands government and Save the Children to enhance the capabilities of local-led women's rights organisations in their pursuit of gender equality and the economic empowerment of women and youth in Bangladesh.

The SWOCCHAR project will provide these organisations with essential capacity development support to engage in lobbying, advocacy, and the shaping of key national agendas and policies.

Moreover, the project will extend small innovation funds to local women and youth-led organisations. These funds will be used to drive gender-responsive, inclusive, and innovative campaigns aimed at altering public perceptions and challenging social norms that hinder women's access to economic opportunities.

The SWOCCHAR project is in alignment with the gender strategy objectives outlined in the 8th Five-year plan of the Government of Bangladesh and is set to commence its journey in 2023.