Dhaka summit pushes young women’s economic empowerment-leadership

Save the Children in Bangladesh, with support from UNICEF, hosted a national summit in Dhaka on young women’s economic empowerment and leadership, bringing together policymakers, government officials, development partners, businesses and young women.

Held under the Promotion of Women’s Empowerment and Resilience Building (POWER) Project, the summit focused on expanding skills development, employment, entrepreneurship and leadership opportunities, particularly for young women not in education, employment or training (NEET).

Chief Guest Mahdi Amin, Advisor to the Prime Minister, stressed the importance of practical skills over academic certificates, pledging government collaboration with development partners to create more learning opportunities.

Kazi Moklesur Rahman, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, highlighted opportunities to integrate the project’s achievements into government initiatives, including the EARN Project.

UNICEF Bangladesh’s Chief of Education, Deepa Sankar, called for integrating non-formal education and skills training into mainstream education.

Acting Secretary Mahfuzul Alam Khan also emphasised expanding employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for young women.