PV Technology Desk : Meta, formerly known as the Facebook company, has been working
with partners in Bangladesh to support programs to empower women through economic and
digital awareness.
On March 9, Meta and BRAC hosted an event “Empowering Women and Youth in Digital
Spaces” to celebrate International Women’s Day and share the results of their partnership on a
digital awareness program launched last year. Together, the partners are helping women
become more familiar with the digital landscape and learn how to navigate it safely.
The event began with opening remarks from Nobonita Chowdhury, Director of Gender Justice
and Diversity Program at BRAC, where she stressed the importance of digital access for all.
She said, “We need to ensure equity in digital access, as the current difference between men
and women in using advanced technology is quite high.”
So far, more than half a million BRAC program participants have learned about online safety,
privacy tools and how to tackle misinformation; around 75 percent of the trainees are women.
Nearly 10 million women and youth were reached through a social media campaign on safe and
effective use of social media. The impact measurement shows that 98 percent of participants
say they now know how to maintain a positive digital footprint compared to 62 percent before
they started the training program.
Meta has taken a holistic approach to create opportunities for women in Bangladesh by helping
them become more aware and responsible digital citizens and effectively use existing tools to
build community online. This also helps women entrepreneurs build and grow their businesses.
“Bangladesh’s digital transformation has brought more women online and helped empower
them. We hope to continue working with partners on the ground to support workshops on digital
skills for online safety as well as financial freedom,” said Beth Ann Lim, Meta’s Policy Programs
Director for the Asia Pacific region. “We know many women still shoulder a disproportionate
amount of responsibilities at home. Online platforms can play a big role in bringing markets to
their doorsteps.”
Last year, Meta launched its SheMeansBusiness program in Bangladesh in partnership with the
ICT Division’s Aspire to Innovate (a2i) program, Bangladesh Women's Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, and LightCastle Partners to empower more than 10,000 women across
Bangladesh by facilitating deeper connections with their customers online to boost their
businesses. It provides small business owners the skills and connections required to excel using
digital tools and platforms.
Edited By-SPT
