30 more women business centres to be set up for women

Some 30 women's business centres (WBC) will be set up to improve the wellbeing of women and promote their empowerment in Sunamganj and Gopalganj districts.

The Coca-Cola Foundation in partnership with the United Purpose will set up the new WBCs.

Of them, 15 will be established in Sunamganj and 15 others in Gopalganj, the Foundation made the announcement at a virtual seminar recently. 

According to the foundation, the WBCs will create a sustainable business model for 40,000 new and existing women entrepreneurs in those two districts.

Addressing the event as the chief guest, Shaikh Muslima Moon, additional director of the Department of Women Affairs, said, women's empowerment is essential for strengthening the economy and achieving sustainable development by improving the quality of life for women. Women's participation in economic activities can ensure that.

WBC was introduced in Bangladesh in 2015 and as many as 70 WBCs were set up across Jamalpur, Khulna, and Bagerhat districts since then which facilitated some 100,000 women across the country to become self-sufficient. 

Bilkis Begum, a beneficiary, said, "WBCs have not only helped women individually but they have had a positive impact on the community as well. Women here are now more confident, and happy to be able to do meaningful work as well as contribute to their family." 

Sriramappa Gonchikara, country director of United Purpose, said, "It gives us a great deal of joy to see the positive impact of the existing WBCs. The success stories of these women entrepreneurs have encouraged us to expand our operations and launch new WBCs across Bangladesh. Hopefully, these new centres and their newly linked WBC retail outlets will create even greater levels of an impact than we've seen to date."