Bangladesh Expands Support for Women Entrepreneurs & Businesses

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Thursday, 12 November 2026

Bangladesh’s government has stepped up its efforts to promote women's economic empowerment. By expanding access to financial assistance, offering loans on favorable terms, providing skills training and introducing opportunities, it aims at supporting women-led enterprises. This is intended to assist women in becoming financially independent, entrepreneurial, and involved in economic activities.

The discussion took place at a workshop themed ‘Collective Initiatives to Remove Obstacles to Women's Economic Empowerment and Ensure Equal Opportunities’ at the RDRS Begum Rokeya Auditorium in the city. The workshop emphasized the need to combine institutions and individuals for betterment of women.

Key Highlights:

• Government expands financial assistance, training and support for women entrepreneurs
• Workshop calls for collective action to advance women's economic empowerment
• Women leaders highlight barriers to finance, market access and skills development

The Family Income Development Association (FIDA) Executive Director Firoza Begum chaired the workshop, attended by representatives of 20 women-run enterprises spread over eight districts in the Rangpur division. FIDA organized the programme under the “SWOCCHAR Project” (Strengthening Women’s Organization Capacity for Championing Women's Rights), with the assistance of Save the Children in Bangladesh.

The theme of the program was to realize the economic opportunities available to women and to identify the obstacles that affect their development. It also measures the capacity and growth opportunities for women-oriented organizations. The participants shared their experience with their organizations, identified the challenges they face in entrepreneurial activities and also shared their possibilities of growing in the future.

It is important for women to be bold, confident, and determined enough to face the challenges in order to succeed. The observations have been made by government officials and representatives from women's entrepreneurial organizations during a workshop.

The discussions especially emphasized the following three key problems: lack of market access, inadequate opportunity for training in professional and entrepreneurial skills, and difficulties in procuring loans. It was vital to overcome these issues in order to enable the women entrepreneurs to develop stronger businesses and business acumen.

The program honored Mst Zilufa Sultana, the Director of Rangpur Divisional Social Services Office, as the chief guest. A number of other officials as well as representatives of different development agencies and banks have spoken at the event. These include District Women Affairs Officer Salwara Begum, Banker Md Safiul Alam, FIDA representatives ZFM Firoz Pasha, Shamseyara Bilkis and ASM Atiqur Rahman Siddique, RDRS representative Ziaur Rahman and BRAC representative Jahedul Islam.

In her speech at the workshop, the chief guest advised the women entrepreneurs to make use of all the programs being offered by the government in order to enhance their businesses and attain economic independence.

She also highlighted the need for creating a network within which women mentor and support each other. Through working together, women can address several challenges that stand in their way and thus make contributions to further progress in the sphere of women's economic empowerment.