Walmart Foundation and humanitarian organisation CARE launched Women's empowerment initiative in Bangladesh factories
Last updated 2/10/2010 5:08:45 PM
Walmart Foundation and CARE launched Womens empowerment initiative in Bangladesh factories
A new women's empowerment programme has been in Bangladesh will provide 2,500 female factory workers in the country's apparel sector with workplace skills and literacy training. The initiative has been set-up by the Walmart Foundation and humanitarian organisation CARE, which will focus on long-term, sustainable means of improving the standard of living and working environments will be implemented in Dhaka.
Selected factories will host learning centres, providing education and awareness sessions focused on specific issues of concern to female workers in and around their workplace, including maternal and child health, nutrition, and hygiene and sanitation practices.
Through the learning centres, these women will also receive education to improve their reading, writing and math skills.
Technical training will focus on providing the workers with design, sewing, equipment handling and other relevant on-the-job technical skills. Factories in Bangladesh employ mostly women – between 20 and 29 years old – who have left their rural villages in search of better livelihoods.
This initiative is also expected to indirectly benefit the families, and communities, of these workers, and will likely positively impact an additional 12,500 to 15,000 people.
Knowledge and best practices from the Walmart and CARE women's empowerment factory initiative will be shared with the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturing and Export Association (BGMEA) to help improve the quality of life and social conditions in other factories as well.
Last May, the Walmart Foundation awarded a $1m grant to CARE for projects focusing on empowering impoverished young women in Peru, Bangladesh and India through education, job-training and entrepreneurial support programs. This project marks the second of a series of initiatives to elevate women from poverty worldwide.
Globally, women make up 70% of the one billion people living on less than a dollar a day, work two-thirds of the working hours, produce half of the world's food, yet earn only 10% of the world's income and own less than 1% of the world's property.
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