Photo: Collage

By Md Mamun Islam
 
RANGPUR, Sept 18, 2025 (BSS) – The multi-dimensional government-aided income generating activities (IGAs) have been effectively helping rural women to earn well, become self-reliant and improve livelihoods in Rangpur region.
 
With continuous government support and their own initiatives, many rural women have enhanced their capacities in running IGAs and creating jobs for unemployed female youths, also helping them to attain self-reliance.
 
Chairman of Rangpur-based research organization North Bengal Institute of Development Studies Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said all possible support have been extended to rural women for income generating activities. The interim government has further enabled them to become engaged in various IGAs.
 
Many of them have launched small-scale enterprises, trade and businesses creating jobs for female youths after getting assistance and training from government departments, organisations and some NGOs. 
 
“In addition, many women received training and microcredit under various government projects for IGAs, allowances and other support to improve their livelihoods and change fortunes,” Dr Zaman said. 
 
Successful implementation of massive social safety-net programmes (SSNPs) also helped many rural women to improve their livelihoods.
 
Deputy Director of the Department of Women Affairs (DWA) of Rangpur Most Seloara Begum said many unemployed female youths are earning well after getting training on sewing, embroidering and other trades and assistance under government support. 
 
“Rural women have achieved self-reliance through small-scale enterprises, trades, cottage industries, sewing machines, micro-credit activities, homestead farming, pisciculture, poultry birds rearing and making handloom industries,” she said.
 
She said easy-term and interest-free loans, training for unemployed rural women on various trades for self-employment, assistance from the government and development partners also helped them play important roles to cut poverty.
 
Deputy Director of the Department of Youth Development (DYD) Md Akhirul Islam said hundreds of unemployed youths, mostly women, have so far got training and interest free loans to become self-reliant in Rangpur district alone through IGAs.
 
"The beneficiaries are continuing IGAs, various enterprises, running businesses, animal husbandry, poultry, fisheries and homestead farming with multidimensional government assistance," he said.
  
Senior Officer of Rangpur Palli Sanchay Bank (PSB) Md Mahidul Islam said rural women are changing fortune through IGAs, enterprises, businesses, animal husbandry, poultry and other activities with the project assistance.
 
“More than one-lakh women-led poor rural families have improved their living standard in Rangpur district alone through running small-scale enterprises, businesses, animal husbandry, poultry and other activities in the district,” Islam added.   
 
Talking to BSS, a number of rural women said they attained self- reliance through hard works  with government assistance under the SSNPs and other programmes and support of different NGOs to improve their livelihoods and living standard.
 
Alefa Begum of village Kursha Balorampur in Rangpur Sadar upazila said she along with her husband and four children were in hardship in the past.
 
“After taking easy-term loans from PSB since 2012, I purchased heifers, goats and sheep and earned a better profit to change our fortune. So far, I bought one acre of cultivable land with other assets worth Taka 11 lakh,” she said.
 
After receiving training from the DWA, craftswomen Shabana Begum and Saleha Khatun of Syedpur upazila in Nilphamari said they earn Taka 15,000 to Taka 20,000 monthly through ornamental needle and embroidery works to lead a better life with families.
 
Similarly, craftswomen Dilruba Khatun, Shamima Begum and Kakoli of different villages under Badarganj upazila of Rangpur got training and assistance from DYD and have achieved self-reliance through ornamental needlework like many others.