Women working in Bangladesh’s informal sector are seeing new opportunities through targeted support programs. Many face significant challenges, such as disabilities or the need to return home after working abroad, but they are finding ways to earn income and support their families.
Muna from Mohammadpur, who has a severe speech and language impairment, now runs a tailoring business after completing a six-month training program. She earns ten thousand takas monthly by using her skills and reading clients’ lips for communication.
Sharmin, living in Malipara, turned her hobby of making products from waste into a business selling ropes made from leftover fabric. She received entrepreneurship training from Gram Unnayan Karma (GUK) and sold her cows to fund her venture. “Every person deserves to shine,” Sharmin said.
Sultana, who returned to Chanpara after working as a domestic worker in Lebanon, used financial literacy and business management training to start her own tailoring business with a small loan. She now earns BDT 7,000 per month.
These women have participated in the Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE) program, which is funded by the World Bank. The initiative provides services for youth like Muna, entrepreneurs like Sharmin, and returning migrant workers like Sultana across Bangladesh’s informal sector. So far, RAISE has reached over 280,000 people nationwide. The informal economy accounts for 43 percent of Bangladesh’s gross domestic product and generates 85 percent of employment according to the Labour Force Survey 2022.
Across South Asia, women often face barriers entering the workforce due to social norms and family responsibilities. RAISE works with women and their families to explain the benefits of participation while ensuring safety during involvement. Aneeka Rahman, Senior Social Protection Economist and Team Leader of RAISE said: “Program staff and implementation partners talk through the program with women and their families, explaining how it would benefit them while also assuring them of their well-being during their participation.” These efforts have resulted in women making up 41 percent of RAISE apprentices.
The program offers tailored services based on labor market assessments and global best practices. Services include counseling, on-the-job learning through apprenticeships, business management training, technical skills development, microfinance options for self-employment or microenterprises, and stipends. Female apprentices are often paired with other young women for job training; Muna was guided by dressmaker Najma Akhter before securing work at Adabor Tailor.
“For apprentices in RAISE, it’s often the first time they contribute financially to their households,” said Dilip Chakravorty, Project Coordinator and General Manager for PKSF—an institution that helps administer part of RAISE. “What stands out most with these women is their remarkable transformation during and after the program. It significantly boosts their confidence and social standing.”
Bangladesh has seen social and economic progress over recent decades but poverty reduction has slowed recently—especially in urban areas—and youth unemployment is rising. Young people make up about 28% of Bangladesh’s population but face limited skills development opportunities. Self-employment is important but many lack experience or access to capital.
Female youth labor force participation is only one-quarter that of males—29 percent compared to 66 percent—but persistent women are more likely than men to be self-employed.
Liza Akhter had to close an aluminum business during COVID-19 but restarted after moving from Dhaka to Shariatpur with help from RAISE training on risk management plus a loan from Naira Unnayan Samity (a PKSF partner). Now she employs ten workers at her factory: “In our society there are some perceptions of what jobs men can do…when I started the aluminum business…people thought I was being crazy…but now everyone calls us ‘Company’,” Liza said.
Bangladesh sends over one million workers abroad each year; many return early needing support rejoining local economies. According to BRAC research more than 470,000 migrant workers have returned over six years after facing hardship abroad.
The World Bank partnered with Bangladesh’s Wage Earners Welfare Board (WEWB) under the Ministry of Expatriate Welfare & Overseas Employment to establish 31 Welfare Centers nationwide offering psycho-social counseling plus employment support for returning migrants—especially women—to reintegrate locally.
“Returnees engage in a cycle of income-generating activities to regain their economic power,” said Dr. A.T.M Mahbub-ul Karim (RAISE Project Director at WEWB). “The Welfare Centers have welcomed returnee migrant workers especially women by ensuring their safety & security.”
Sultana credits this support: “Without the support & financial assistance from the Welfare Center I would never have had courage…With proper training & strong willpower anyone can overcome life’s challenges.”
Programs like RAISE show how removing obstacles can transform adversity into opportunity for Bangladeshi women—helping them lead successful lives while contributing broadly across society.
The World Bank supports such initiatives as part of its mission to reduce poverty through inclusive development efforts worldwide in more than 190 countries. The organization provides financing as well as knowledge-sharing to address global development challenges, collaborating closely with governments including those in South Asia and partnering with multilateral institutions.