Kulsum Begum (25), a first cycle beneficiary of SWAPNO (Strengthening Women’s Ability for Productive New Opportunities) was married off at the tender age of 15 after her mother passed away. As her father couldn’t pay dowry, she was constantly subjected to domestic violence.  Eventually, she managed to escape from the clutches of her abusive husband, but then she had to take up the responsibility of caring for her ailing father. Her brothers were not supportive, and made her feel like a burden. Musammat Asiron’s (30) husband abandoned her, leaving her alone to care for three  children. With no education, skills, or capital, she had to resort to odd, or high-risk jobs. Rashida Begum’s (25) story echoes that of Kulsum; she was married off at the tender age of 13, and forced to discontinue her studies. “I was too young to understand what marriage, motherhood and responsibilities even meant,” she reflected. Soon after she gave birth, her husband abandoned her.

But these stories do not end with misfortune. These three women were among many others who managed to change their fate with the help of SWAPNO. They heard that the project was looking for single, divorced, or widowed women with no income, for employment in public works. Once applying for a place as beneficiary through their Union Parishad in Kurigram, they were chosen through a lottery. They earned a decent wage from the job and learned the ways of responsible spending and saving.

During their employment tenure, they were given extensive skills training and counselling, enabling and empowering them to know their rights, stand up for themselves and build self-confidence. Once they completed this tenure, SWAPNO facilitated their transition into a sector of their interest: ready-made garments (RMG).

Today, Kulsum, Asiron, and Rasheda are working at Eco-Fab^[1], an RMG factory in Gazipur. The project made special arrangements so that they receive an additional two-month training before joining, and provided stipends during that time. Eco-Fab and SWAPNO worked together to provide good accommodation, counselling, and regular monitoring, for their smooth transition into a new career at a new place.

The ladies now earn around Tk 11000 a month, maintain a decent standard of living and send money to their families back in Kurigram through mobile financial services. The women have solid plans for their future.

United Nations Development Programme’s SWAPNO (Strengthening Women’s Ability for Productive New Opportunities) is a social transfer-based graduation model project targeting ultra-poor rural women who are widows, divorced, abandoned or left with a disabled husband.

In order to ensure that SWAPNO’s intervention remains sustainable, the project takes on a market system development approach, allowing project outputs to fit in with national labour demand and market demand.

Leaving no one behind, in its purest form, consists of including those who have been marginalised by society and their communities, and giving them a fresh start at life. This initiative goes to show the immense potential and power of development that can be harnessed through an effective partnership between public and private sectors. Meeting sustainable development goals is not a duty that should fall only on development organisations, rather we need partnerships that further the cause of SDGs.

^[1]  Eco-Fab is an extension of Viyallatex’s woven business and a LEED Gold Certified environment friendly business located in Gazipur