Findings and Recommendations of Women Friendly RAS Approaches workshop

A panel of eight people sitting at a table during a workshop, with a man standing to the left speaking into a microphone. The table is decorated with flowers and each panelist has a nameplate. Behind them, a presentation screen displays a slide titled 'Rural Advisory Services for Women Empowerment (RAS4WE) Project' with additional information. The room has wood-paneled walls, some artwork on the side wall, and plants around the room.

A workshop titled Findings and Recommendations of Women Friendly RAS Approaches was held on 24/11/2024 at the Multipurpose Hall Room of the Department of Women Affairs, Eskaton Road, Dhaka, under the joint initiative of Uttaran and FIVDB. This workshop was organized under the Rural Advisory Services for Women Empowerment (RAS4WE) project, which is being implemented in the Sirajganj district with financial support from the German-based organization BMZ and technical assistance from Welthungerhilfe Bangladesh. The main objective of the workshop was to present the results and recommendations for providing women-friendly advisory services and to encourage knowledge exchange, networking, and policymaking initiatives at the local, national, and regional levels. The project aims to equip 3,100 women farmers with entrepreneurial skills and MSME development, enabling them to play a key role in the household economy and local decision-making.

The event was chaired by Pankaj Kumar, Country Director of Welthungerhilfe Bangladesh, and was attended by the Director General of the Department of Women Affairs, Ms. Keya Khan. Directors of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Department of Livestock, Department of Fisheries, Department of Agricultural Marketing, and the Institute of Public Health and Nutrition were present as guests of honor. Also in attendance were invited officials from various government departments, representatives of national and international non-governmental organizations, representatives of private companies, staff members of Welthungerhilfe, FIVDB, and Uttaran, as well as journalists.

The workshop was jointly welcomed by Ms. Fatima Halima Ahmed, Partnership Coordinator of Uttaran, and Mr. Bazle Mustafa Razi, Executive Director of FIVDB. The keynote address was presented by Agricultural Economics Expert Dr. Fatima Nasrin Jahan.

The workshop is regarded as an important initiative to showcase the effectiveness and value of the Rural Advisory Services (RAS) approach for women and to strengthen collaboration with policymakers.

British High Commissioner visited FIVDB Midwifery Institute

A woman holding a newborn in a medical setting, surrounded by healthcare staff attending to a patient in a hospital bed
A woman in pink uniform and cap holding a microphone is speaking to a seated audience of eight people in a room with white walls, tiled floor, and a whiteboard.
Classroom filled with female students in pink uniforms, listening to female instructor and male visitors at the front.
Group of students, teachers, and staff in a school hallway, with students in pink uniforms and teachers in casual and traditional clothing, posing for a group photo.

British High Commissioner, H.E. Ms. Sarah Cooke visited FIVDB Midwifery Institute on 23rd August 2023. She met the students, faculty and FIVDB management; had some wonderful interaction. She appreciated the endeavor and expressed their (British Government’s) special interest on Women Empowerment.

Connectivity with Academia 

Man giving a presentation at a classroom lecture. Audience seated, looking at the speaker, with a projection screen displaying a quote and a photo.
A classroom filled with students attentively listening to a speaker standing in front of a screen, giving a presentation.

Department of Social Work, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology arranged a session on “Community Development; approaches and steps – FIVDB Perspective” to let the students connect theoretical knowledge with practical experiences. Md. Fahim Sarwat, Coordinator Livelihood Enhancement programme of FIVDB facilitated the session. The tremendous interactive event been held on May 31st 2023 with the students of 2/1 semister as part of the course titled "Social work with Communiyies".