DHAKA, Nov 20, 2022 (BSS) - US Ambassador in Dhaka Peter Haas today said
Bangladesh is "uniquely positioned" in Asia to transition into an urban
industrial and middle-income country through harnessing new entrepreneur
ideas as well as investing in women's professional development.
"As Bangladesh graduates from Least Developed Country status and employs a
huge women workforce in ready-made garments sector, much remains to be done
for women to have leadership roles," he said.
The envoy was addressing the orientation event of "Academy for Women
Entrepreneurs (AWE)" supported by US embassy here with the funding of US
State Department collaboration with BRAC university at EMK centre in
Dhanmondi here.
Haas said that growing and sustaining the entrepreneurship sector is key to
continued economic growth in Bangladesh while the country needs entrepreneurs
to come up with new ideas to help diversify and advance the economy.
"There is no better time to invest in the professional development of women
and girls who continue to persist and defy all odds in entrepreneurial
ventures, an area historically predominated by men." He said.
Hass said it is collective responsibility for all to identify, address, and
eliminate barriers preventing women and girls from achieving their dreams.
"As we celebrate the 50 years of US-Bangladesh relations, we see Bangladesh
as a country with the huge potential and growth with a workforce that is
young and increasingly well educated," he said.
The envoy said that the investment on women must be inclusive and diverse to
get the full fruit out of it while more than half of Bangladesh's 165 million
people are women.
Under the AWE, a total of 50 Bangladeshi women entrepreneurs will be imparted
knowledge, networks, and access they need to launch and scale successful
businesses.
The US embassy selected 50 women from 1600 applicants, representing different
ethnicities, religions and sexual identities.
Haas hoped that the participant will make great use of the training
opportunities, and pave the way many more women on business to come.
The AWE program directly supports the "US National Strategy on Gender Equity
and Equality" promoting women's economic opportunities and ensuring that
women have the capabilities and resources needed to participate in the
economy.
Through AWE, participants learn core business skills, then get together as a
class to discuss the material with experienced implementers, local mentors,
and U.S. Exchange Alumni.
The AWE harnesses the power of public-private sponsors, local partnerships,
and U.S. Exchange Alumni networks to help women and their businesses grow.
A 2021 evaluation of the program showed that 74 percent of women who complete
the AWE program across the globe increase their business earnings and 29
percent hire more staff.
By giving women the tools and the confidence they need, the AWE program is
generating income and creating jobs in women-led businesses, driving local
prosperity in more than 80 countries worldwide.