By Nazneen Ahmed, Ph.D. , Country Economist, UNDP Bangladesh

Women’s economic empowerment is a strong pillar of the overall empowerment of women. In recent years, entrepreneurship has emerged as a means for many women to earn living for themselves and their families. Commonly, when we think of women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, we picture women living in urban areas undertaking business initiatives. To many of us, rural women are mostly involved in homestead agriculture and petty trading. However, rural women can become entrepreneurs if they receive proper supports. My recent visit to the Bhaibon Chara union of Khagrachari district of Bangladesh revealed some amazing stories of empowered women who could change their livelihoods completely by developing their business entities. Several UNDP-supported programmess in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) region (which also includes Khagrachari district) played a key role in their journey towards becoming entrepreneurs. For example, training and capital grants to women under the Strengthening Inclusive Development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts  (SID-CHT) project supported many women to become entrepreneurs and expand their businesses. Moreover, the Agriculture and Food Security Project has also extended supports to entrepreneurship development in agriculture.

Aanti Chakm is a 30-year-old women entrepreneur from Shanti Gram, Bhaibonchara Union, of Khagrachari. She is an active member of Haridayal para Weaver group. This group was formed during the intervention by UNDP's Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Facility (CHTDF). Aanti received 16 days long block batik (hand printing of clothes) training from SID-CHT project. In addition to training, her group of 5 members received 2 hundred thousand Taka as seed money (for the group) to start a business. Her group has invested the capital for producing clothes with new designs and they are earning huge profits.  According to Aanti, the capital grant has enabled them to increase income and they are now capable of meeting their daily livelihood needs.

The story of Nikunti Tripura is no doubt a story of a dream coming true. She is a 37-year-old women entrepreneur from Montri Para of Bhaibon Chara union in Khagrachari district. She received a 36-day long training under the Agriculture and Food Security Project of UNDP and became a field facilitator. Before receiving the training, she and her day-labourer husband could not earn enough to feed their family of four members, the roof of their hut could hardly protect them from winter cold or rain. Their two children often used to go to bed with an empty belly. Nikunti received training in different types of agricultural activities like poultry rearing, producing vermicompost, round the year vegetable production, pig rearing, and so on. She now has her vermicompost producing unit, commercial poultry and vegetable business. She has already built a home with a good quality roof; her children not only eat enough but also go to school. Nikunti has savings in the bank. She now dreams that one day she will have a concrete-made house. She says “I did not have education, but I had the determination to work hard; I did not know where to utilize my labour to earn enough. UNDP project has allowed me to make my dream a reality. I shall not stop hard work until I have a pacca ghor”.

Thus, small support to the women in the CHT area is creating amazing results. The stories of Triphola Tripura from Chotobari Para; Arema Marma from Pankhaiya Para, or Ahnang Marma of Headman Para of Khagrachari district are similar to those mentioned above. Some of them are involved in honeybee farming, some have commercial production of fruits and vegetables, and some are producing traditional clothes (with new designs). They now dream for a future where they never have to worry about basic livelihood means. In addition to the training, they all appreciated the capital grant or necessary tools provided to them to start the business. One can visibly notice how empowered these women are. We just need to give them the fuel to the light they have inside. The outcome will be manifolds.